The AEC Regal was a single-decker bus model built by AEC in Southall from 1929 to 1964. On the same chassis British operators had touring coaches and city buses, and the Regal in its various forms made up a large part of the fleets of companies such as London Transport and Green Line Coaches.
AEC Regal at a glance
| Maker | AEC, Southall, West London |
|---|---|
| Production | 1929–1964 |
| Regal I | 1929, front-mounted four-cylinder diesel |
| Regal III | introduced immediately after the Second World War |
| Regal IV | 1949–1962, first mainstream underfloor-engined AEC |
| Regal IV engine | AEC AH590, 9.6 litres |
| Regal IV production | over 2,600 built |
| Regal IV operators | London Transport over 700; British European Airways 64 coaches |
| Regal VI | 1960, export model with 11.3-litre AH690 |
| Replaced by | AEC Reliance |
English Wikipedia has a page only on the Regal IV; the history of the earlier and later Regals comes from the German Wikipedia article on the whole series.
History of the AEC Regal
The first AEC Regal, later called the Regal I, was shown in 1929 with a front-mounted four-cylinder diesel engine. AEC built the frame and engine, and various British coachbuilders fitted the bodies. Typical of British buses of the period was the half-cab, pulled forward almost to the level of the radiator, which gave the driver a good all-round view and easy access to the engine. Regal I buses that survived the Second World War were often given new, more modern bodies afterwards, many with new four- and six-cylinder engines of up to 7.7 litres from various makers.
The AEC Regal III appeared immediately after the war. Some carried bodies similar to the pre-war types, others already had modern forward-control bodies, and some of the half-cab buses, like the Regal I, were later converted into open-top excursion buses. The Regal IV, presented in 1950 according to the German account and built from 1949 to 1962, differed from its predecessors in having the engine mounted underfloor. It was AEC’s first mainstream underfloor-engined vehicle: a prototype was built in 1949 and production began in 1952, the first 25 being built to the maximum permissible length of 8.4 metres for London Transport before the limit rose to 9.1 metres. Over 2,600 were built, London Transport taking more than 700 and British European Airways 64 as coaches. Production for the UK market ended in 1955 with the arrival of the AEC Reliance, but the Regal IV continued for export markets into the 1960s.
At least 117 Regal IV vehicles went to New Zealand between 1952 and 1955, including 95 for Christchurch and 10 for New Plymouth, where they were bought specifically to replace tram networks; Auckland took 12 and Otago Road Services one. The Regal VI, first shown at the 1960 Commercial Motor Show, was intended for export and differed from the Regal IV only in its more powerful 11.3-litre AH690 engine. South Africa was the largest export customer with about 1,500 examples, 500 went to Buenos Aires and 150 to Montevideo, with further customers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Australia, where buses ran in Perth until 1987. Normally only chassis and engine were delivered, to be completed locally; in South Africa the underfloor engine was moved ahead of the front axle to improve cooling. The Regal was replaced in the range by the AEC Reliance.
Design and features
- Several generations: the Regal I of 1929, the post-war Regal III, the underfloor-engined Regal IV and the export Regal VI.
- Underfloor engine: the Regal IV was AEC’s first mainstream underfloor-engined vehicle.
- Coach and bus bodies: the same chassis served city operators and express coach services such as Green Line.
- Export success: Regal IV and VI chassis were completed locally in New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Australia.
AEC Regal versions
- Regal I (1929): front-engined single-decker with a half-cab.
- Regal III: post-war model with pre-war or modern forward-control bodies.
- Regal IV (1949–1962): underfloor-engined chassis with the 9.6-litre AH590, over 2,600 built.
- Regal VI (1960): export version with the 11.3-litre AH690 engine.
The Regal was replaced by the AEC Reliance, and its London double-decker relatives included the Regent III RT. More buses are in the AEC collection.
Video: Very fast and hilly ride by London Transport GreenLine AEC Regal IV RF180 (MLL 567)
Video by John G. Lidstone on YouTube.
Sources
- AEC Regal IV, English Wikipedia: production, London and BEA fleets, New Zealand exports
- AEC Regal, German Wikipedia: Regal I, III, IV and VI history, engines, exports
