God Said All London Buses Must Be Red
London’s buses have always been red in my memory and according to this piece, which is a response to the question of why London’s buses are red, they’ve been predominately red since the creation of the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. Although buses from the London General Omnibus Company had started using the colour in 1907.
Today though I saw my first New Routemaster in a full black advertising livery.
God Said All London Buses Must Be Red
I don’t think the bus suited the livery.
By the way, God or in London Transport’s case; Frank Pick, wouldn’t have liked this bus either, as it would grate with the overall philosophy he laid down for London’s transport system.
Has anybody else ever imposed their design philosophy on a city, as Frank Pick did for London to such a positive effect?
I wonder what he’d have thought of London’s New Routemaster.
One thing he would have liked was the process where Thomas Heatherwick was involved in the design of the bus. Pick in his years as London’s transport supremo, regularly hired the best architects and designers.
He was also prepared to back those, whose designs were unconventional, like Harry Beck‘s tube map, which has evolved to be one of the most recognisable maps in the world.
The Anonymous Widower 
There were quite a few confused faces at the bus stop yesterday when that thing hove into view.
Comment by R | May 25, 2014 |
Your words don’t say you’re in favour. I suppose with an old bus like those on the 277, the extra vinyl skin helps to cover all the corrosion.
Comment by AnonW | May 25, 2014 |
I suspect advertisers wouldn’t want full wraps on older buses like those on the 277 route though; have there been any like this? I’d assume they’ll want their brand associated with the new and shiny.
Comment by londonarchivist | May 25, 2014 |
there’s a couple on the 277 at the moment, including one advertising the Matisse cut-outs at Tate Britain. i wonder who gets the advertising money – TfL or the operator?
Comment by AnonW | May 25, 2014
Hadn’t spotted the 277 ones – you can’t really miss the full black wrap on the 38! I would have thought TFL gets the revenue?
Comment by R | May 25, 2014 |
I saw it again later in the afternoon, when I was getting a bus to Hackney Downs. I missed it coming. It’s rather a stealth bus and I suspect everybody will have the silly thing.
Comment by AnonW | May 26, 2014 |
[…] The picture says so many things, some of which are political, but to me it shows how if you get the design of anything right, that stimulates the economy and creates jobs. But also as the report about the New Bus for West Yorkshire shows, these classic designs, look great in any colour, although black might be a bit much, as London has shown. […]
Pingback by An Iconic Picture Of A New Routemaster « The Anonymous Widower | July 7, 2014 |
The busses are bodied in aluminium (Even going back to the original Routematers). The vinyl wraps wont make any difference to corrosion! TFL and the advertising company get they money.
I agree, London busses in red help promote the city. They should all be red with advertising allowed in the normal places. Bu tif people keep posting the images of the wrapped busses online, this won’t change!
Comment by lee newham | July 10, 2019 |