Manufacturer: Jotus
Scale: 1:76
Model type: Volvo Ailsa B55 MkIII/Alexander
Livery: London Transport
This is a very finely detailed white metal and resin model of London Transport Volvo Ailsa B55 MkIII with Alexander bodywork, fleet number V3. The vehicle has a most unusual entrance and rear exit door arrangement, and was ordered by London Transport to study passenger flows with one or two person crews.
Registration number: A103 SUU. It is operationg on route 77A to Euston.
This bus was unique to London Transport who evaluated this, two similar but conventional Volvo Ailsa's and small batches of Leyland Olympians, Dennis Dominator's and MCW Metrobus Mk2's prior to purchasing a large fleet of Leyland Olympians which were delivered in 1986 and 1987. The Olympians were to be the last large fleet of buses purchased by London Transport before privatisation of bus operations in London. Volvo Ailsa V3 was used for a few years by London Transport before being sold after a serious accident to Black Prince, a private operator based in Leeds, who rebuilt the vehicle without the rear door. The bus is now fully restored and preserved in London Transport livery.
Because of the special nature of this vehicle, this model is likely to be the sole production run produced by this or any manufacturer, and the high price reflects the need by the manufacturer to include all its development and production costs to enable the model to be produced.
Limited edition of 500 pieces.