Hello all. I just joined up in the hope of locating a GT6 that was involved in a very unusual story of which the owner may be completely unaware. And there could be a remarkable epilogue.
A red GT6, UFM801K, was registered in Chester in 1972. Around the same time Crosville, a Chester-based bus company, took delivery of the first production model of the Leyland National bus to go into service with a National Bus Company subsidiary. It was a pretty big deal at the time but in error the bus was also registered UFM801K.
After the bus had been in service for a day or two it came to light that the bus and car were knocking around town with the same number. The bus was then re-registered WFM801K and served the Chester area under that guise until 1984 when it was sold for further service at Gatwick airport and later still in the Manchester area. Ultimately the bus was rescued for preservation and still exists today, quite smartly restored to the colours it wore when new. The story came up again on a Facebook discussion earlier and I ran an MOT search on the car and confirmed that it is still taxed.
I just thought that if the owner of the car is here or known to someone here it would be great if the vehicles, both now over 50 years old and remarkable survivors in their own right, could be brought together at some point. The bus has been in attendance at many transport gatherings and hopefully would be present at many more. I believe the car has been seen and possibly photographed at a transport rally at Llandudno. Geoff Smith of Heswall snapped it at a gathering at Vauxhall's at Ellesmere Port in the 1980s (attached)
There are lots of photos of WFM801K online but only a precious few of it with its UFM plate. I attach one seen in service at Chester zoo and link to another at Crosville's central works when new. https://www.flickr.com/photos/69727507@N07/49793685392
Does anyone here know the car and its owner? Could you help us bring the owners together?
