Quotation letter from AEC, Southall to the Central SMT Company, 1948
From a file of documents rescued from a skip at Traction House, Motherwell (the head office of the Central SMT) some 40 years ago. In 1948 companies that were nationalised were busy valuing their assets and so Central SMT were busy corresponding with numerous chassis and body manufacturers to gain quotations for vehicles in their fleet.
Associated Equipment Company were a spin off from the old London General bus company after London Transport were formed in 1933 but they supplied the bulk of London's bus fleet for many decades and were based in Southall, west London. This letter, from their Glasgow sales office, speaks of two variations of the Regent Mark III chassis - the 9612E with fluid transmission and the 9612A with a 'crash' gearbox. CSMT noted in other correspondance they'd go for the crash gearbox style. Given the date is mid 1948 the delivery date (if ordered) was given as nealry 18 months a way, an indication of the sheer volume of post-war orders bus builders had as operators attempted to up date fleets after years of austerity and war time.
Quotation letter from AEC, Southall to the Central SMT Company, 1948
From a file of documents rescued from a skip at Traction House, Motherwell (the head office of the Central SMT) some 40 years ago. In 1948 companies that were nationalised were busy valuing their assets and so Central SMT were busy corresponding with numerous chassis and body manufacturers to gain quotations for vehicles in their fleet.
Associated Equipment Company were a spin off from the old London General bus company after London Transport were formed in 1933 but they supplied the bulk of London's bus fleet for many decades and were based in Southall, west London. This letter, from their Glasgow sales office, speaks of two variations of the Regent Mark III chassis - the 9612E with fluid transmission and the 9612A with a 'crash' gearbox. CSMT noted in other correspondance they'd go for the crash gearbox style. Given the date is mid 1948 the delivery date (if ordered) was given as nealry 18 months a way, an indication of the sheer volume of post-war orders bus builders had as operators attempted to up date fleets after years of austerity and war time.