Greyhound Motors

Greyhound Motors, later known as Bristol Greyhound, was an English bus and coach company based in Bristol.

This article is about the English bus and coach company operating between 1921 and 1972. For other Greyhound bus and coach companies, see Greyhound (disambiguation).

Greyhound Motors
Preserved Bristol MW6G in Bristol in August 2011
ParentBristol Omnibus Company
Founded1921
Ceased operation1972
HeadquartersBristol
Service areaBristol
London
Bournemouth
Paignton
Service typeBus and long-distance coach operator
HubsPrince Street (until 1958)
Bristol bus station (from 1958)

History

Greyhound Motors was formed in February 1921 by Sydney Tom Toogood[1] to operate motor buses in Bristol.

In February 1925, it commenced a long-distance coach service between Bristol and London, which has been claimed to be the first long-distance coach service with scheduled stops en route to pick up and set down passengers.[2][3] The journey time was eight hours.[4][5] It later began services from Bristol to Bournemouth and Paignton, and from London to Bournemouth.[6] It also continued to run local bus services in Bristol, competing fiercely with Bristol Tramways.

In 1928, the company was acquired by Bristol Tramways. Greyhound continued to operate as a separate business, including its bus routes in Bristol until 1936.[7][8] The new owners expanded the Greyhound coach operations. In 1934 it was one of the founder members of the Associated Motorways consortium of long-distance coach operators, but continued the London service outside the consortium.

At the beginning of 1936, the company's business was absorbed into Bristol Tramways.[9] Bristol Omnibus Company continued to use the Greyhound name for its long-distance coach services until 1972, when the National Bus Company required Bristol to adopt the new National Express brand.[10]

Shortly before its demise, on 9 January 1972 Greyhound Motors commenced operating an express Bristol to London service via the new M4 motorway.[11]

Revival of the name

In August 2009, FirstGroup who had owned the former Bristol Omnibus Company since April 1988, announced the reintroduction of the Greyhound brand in the United Kingdom.[12] The new Greyhound UK was a byproduct of FirstGroup purchasing the Greyhound Lines business in the United States in February 2007.[13] Greyhound UK also connected Bristol with Swansea and Bristol Airport until March 2015.[14][15] This was the last Greyhound service operated.

References
  1. "Inaugurating the Longest Bus Service". Commercial Motor. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  2. Hibbs, J (1986) The Country Bus David & Charles, p.100
  3. Clever Organisation of Long-Distance Operation Commercial Motor 16 December 1932 page 99
  4. Inaugurating the Longest Bus Service Commercial Motor 17 February 1925 page 12
  5. Improving a Long-Distance Bus Service Commercial Motor 6 April 1926 page 6
  6. The New Competition on the London-Bournemouth Route Commercial Motor 17 March 1931 page 131
  7. Greyhound Motors Liquidated Commercial Motor 10 January 1936 page 61
  8. "Bus and tram routes in 1933". Bristol Vintage Bus Group. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  9. "History of Bristol's buses". Bristol Vintage Bus Group. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2015.
  10. Curtis, C and Walker, M (2007) Bristol Omnibus Services: The Green Years Millstream Books ISBN 978-0-948975-80-6 p.156
  11. Non-stop motorway express by Greyhound Commercial Motor 7 January 1972 page 15
  12. FirstGroup launch Greyhound bus service The Guardian 19 August 2009
  13. FirstGroup buys Greyhound buses BBC News 9 February 2007
  14. Greyhound speeds airport link to Bristol Archived 12 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine Bus & Coach 6 May 2014
  15. Greyhound halts bus service between Cardiff and Bristol Airport Wales Online 3 February 2015

Media related to Bristol Greyhound (bus company) at Wikimedia Commons

Further reading
  • Hulin, P (1974) Bristol's Buses Published by the author
  • Healey, K (2002) Associated Motorways Venture Publications ISBN 1-898432-57-0
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