The finned buses of Pininfarina

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And now for something completely different: a 1963 Pininfarina bus, coachbuilt for BMC’s Competitions Department. You will know that Pininfarina was happy to work with the British Motor Corporation in the late fifties and early sixties. It was Pininfarina who took Austin, Morris, Riley and Wolseley to the square age with added fins and brightwork. But did you know they designed a finned bus for them too?

This Perkins-powered bus makes us forget the over publicized Ecurie Ecosse transporter or the Teutonic and over restored Fast Transporter of Mercedes Benz’ Rennabteilung. For a while, at least. It’s a cool part of British motoring history with fingerprints of the sixties all over it..

Just a few were built to provide support for BMC's racing and rallying efforts. These specialized vehicles were also used for public relations and to train and educate dealers and mechanics around the world. They were for official BMC use and never sold to the public until they were retired from active service. Although a Pininfarina design, the actual coach building of the transporters was carried out by Marshall's in Cambridge. They came up with an all aluminium construction including an inner body structure similar to that of an aeroplane. The rear fins that had become Pininfarina’s trademark for many of their passenger cars of the era were incorporated in the bus too. Incredible? Yes. Impossible? No.

One ended up in the US and was offered for sale there some years ago. The seller then stated: “It would be fitting to change the colour scheme to blood red, and have it lettered with ‘Scuderia Ferrari’ script.” We’d say that would be a criminal thing to do.

(Words editor, pictures Bonhams auctioneers)

 

     

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