Foxton96
Runciman Motors lineup
Ex Auckland 0305/0303 Mercs. and 2 Wellington Leyland Leopards snapped in the Masefield St. yard of Runciman Motors Ltd., ending their service life as school buses in the Hutt Valley. At right is ex ARA “Peanut” No. 1070.
Between 1977 and 1980 Auckland Regional Authority acquired 96 Mercedes Benz 0303 buses with New Zealand Motor Bodies DP41D bodies. These buses were used for longer services and charters although in busy periods they could be found operating on many shorter servces (eg Onehunga) as well.
The first of these was number 1001.
At the time ETA Foods who made peanut butter and marketed nuts had an advertising campaign around the theme of 1000 peanuts in every jar of peanut butter. Chief character of the ads which appeared on TV and in print media was an animated peanut called Peanut 1001. The connection between 1001 and peanuts in popular culture was so strong that the series became known as ARA "peanuts".
In 1985 bus 1010 was converted to a tag axle bus. 18 more were converted to tag axles for the 1990 Commonwealth games with capacity increased to 49 seats. Conversions were done at the ARA North Shore depot. These buses were disposed of in the early 1990's. Some were sold before ARA became Yellow Bus Company in 1991.
Runciman Motors Ltd. of Upper Hutt was a subsiduary of Stagecoach. Legal name was then changed to North City Bus Ltd. Operated Upper Hutt scheduled services (that was taken over by Cityline) plus 2xdaily Upper Hutt-Wellington, school and charter services.
Buses belonging to Runciman Motors Ltd have been a feature of Upper Hutt roads for 39 years.
Many residents in our area will have grown up travelling to school and work on a Runciman bus, and will continue to do so if Runcimans' impressive fleet of 30 buses and three rental vans is anything to go by.
Paul Runciman (pictured) and his younger brothers Todd and Kerry who now run the company were "born and bred into the world of buses".
"It's all part of our upbringing" says Paul.
The Runciman brothers were introduced to the transport industry when their father Alan Runcinian senior brought three Ford buses from the Upper Hutt Borough Council. He used these for the local urban service and school runs in Akatarawa and Whiteman's Valley.
Now Runciman Motors owns and operates 30 buses, has 42 school bus runs and a heavy machinery mechanical workshop called "Whakatiki". - Upper Hutt Leader, September 19, 1994.
YouTube video clip of former ARA Mercedes-Benz 0303 “Peanut” No. 1070, which after being acquired by Runciman Motors in January 2000 for school bus/charter duties, went to Brian Taverner in March 2006, and shown on its way to a buyer in Otaki, May 2008.
This 0303 (“Peanut”) has been modified for extra length to hold more passengers, and yes, the old ones are still around or rebodied into coach tour buses.
The Auckland Regional Authority purchased around 300 Mercedes Benz 0305 buses in 1973-1980 (replacement for Auckland's trolleybuses) which were absolute luxury with air suspension, power steering, automatic transmisson, seats facing each other, bell buttons, pop up roof vents, engine at rear, plus more:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDtvrUiAYA
Ex ARA No. 1070 CARJAM DETAILS:
Year: 1980
Make: MERCEDES-BENZ
Model: BENZ 0303
Colour: White
Plate: EQN933
Engine No: 173474
Chassis: 019834
Seats: 52
CC rating: 9,570cc
Fuel Type: Diesel
Plates History:
JQ9728 - 9 May 1980
NY9392 - 14 October 1988
EQN933 - 12 November 2008 (rego on hold)
Runciman Motors lineup
Ex Auckland 0305/0303 Mercs. and 2 Wellington Leyland Leopards snapped in the Masefield St. yard of Runciman Motors Ltd., ending their service life as school buses in the Hutt Valley. At right is ex ARA “Peanut” No. 1070.
Between 1977 and 1980 Auckland Regional Authority acquired 96 Mercedes Benz 0303 buses with New Zealand Motor Bodies DP41D bodies. These buses were used for longer services and charters although in busy periods they could be found operating on many shorter servces (eg Onehunga) as well.
The first of these was number 1001.
At the time ETA Foods who made peanut butter and marketed nuts had an advertising campaign around the theme of 1000 peanuts in every jar of peanut butter. Chief character of the ads which appeared on TV and in print media was an animated peanut called Peanut 1001. The connection between 1001 and peanuts in popular culture was so strong that the series became known as ARA "peanuts".
In 1985 bus 1010 was converted to a tag axle bus. 18 more were converted to tag axles for the 1990 Commonwealth games with capacity increased to 49 seats. Conversions were done at the ARA North Shore depot. These buses were disposed of in the early 1990's. Some were sold before ARA became Yellow Bus Company in 1991.
Runciman Motors Ltd. of Upper Hutt was a subsiduary of Stagecoach. Legal name was then changed to North City Bus Ltd. Operated Upper Hutt scheduled services (that was taken over by Cityline) plus 2xdaily Upper Hutt-Wellington, school and charter services.
Buses belonging to Runciman Motors Ltd have been a feature of Upper Hutt roads for 39 years.
Many residents in our area will have grown up travelling to school and work on a Runciman bus, and will continue to do so if Runcimans' impressive fleet of 30 buses and three rental vans is anything to go by.
Paul Runciman (pictured) and his younger brothers Todd and Kerry who now run the company were "born and bred into the world of buses".
"It's all part of our upbringing" says Paul.
The Runciman brothers were introduced to the transport industry when their father Alan Runcinian senior brought three Ford buses from the Upper Hutt Borough Council. He used these for the local urban service and school runs in Akatarawa and Whiteman's Valley.
Now Runciman Motors owns and operates 30 buses, has 42 school bus runs and a heavy machinery mechanical workshop called "Whakatiki". - Upper Hutt Leader, September 19, 1994.
YouTube video clip of former ARA Mercedes-Benz 0303 “Peanut” No. 1070, which after being acquired by Runciman Motors in January 2000 for school bus/charter duties, went to Brian Taverner in March 2006, and shown on its way to a buyer in Otaki, May 2008.
This 0303 (“Peanut”) has been modified for extra length to hold more passengers, and yes, the old ones are still around or rebodied into coach tour buses.
The Auckland Regional Authority purchased around 300 Mercedes Benz 0305 buses in 1973-1980 (replacement for Auckland's trolleybuses) which were absolute luxury with air suspension, power steering, automatic transmisson, seats facing each other, bell buttons, pop up roof vents, engine at rear, plus more:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgDtvrUiAYA
Ex ARA No. 1070 CARJAM DETAILS:
Year: 1980
Make: MERCEDES-BENZ
Model: BENZ 0303
Colour: White
Plate: EQN933
Engine No: 173474
Chassis: 019834
Seats: 52
CC rating: 9,570cc
Fuel Type: Diesel
Plates History:
JQ9728 - 9 May 1980
NY9392 - 14 October 1988
EQN933 - 12 November 2008 (rego on hold)