Description
By: Mike A. Sutcliffe .
Mike Sutcliffe is a man with a passion. That passion is the early Leyland motorbus and he has devoted the last thirty years of his life to the rescue and restoration of several, now famous, examples. The Mike Sutcliffe Collection is one of the most important collections of early buses in the world and thousands of enthusiasts the world over are aware of the magnificent achievements of 'The Leyland Man'. Countless thousands more will have seen his vehicles starring in television and film drama.
This book tells the story of the man and his buses, from the 1908 Leyland X-type, the oldest restored British-built motorbus, to the unique London Pirate 'Chocolate Express' of 1924 and the yet-to-be-restored Todmorden Tiger single- decker.
All Mike's buses have been rescued from a state of extreme dereliction and every chapter reads like a detective story, as he recounts his quest to track down the buses and all the parts necessary to complete them, from hedgerows and abandoned sheds in all corners of the country.
His restorations, described here in detail, are models of accuracy and attention to detail. Each painstaking restoration makes extensive use of traditional craftsmanship, including heavy and precision engineering, joinery, painting and .signwriting, and upholstery.
This book presents the buses in chronological order, and each chapter is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the history of Leyland Motors at the time the bus in question was built. The second section looks at the service history of the preserved vehicle and provides fascinating background information on the operator. The third deals with the rescue and restoration of each bus. Every chapter is copiously illustrated with colour and archive black and white photographs.
Bringing together the early history of one of the world's finest commercial vehicle manufacturers and the story of the most remarkable collection of veteran buses, this book will be irresistible to anyone with an interest in Leyland or the early bus, and to anyone who has ever seen one of Mike's amazing restorations.
