If we were to buy a bus, this would be it: built by Bentley and kitted out in the finest hand-crafted leather. The London Routemaster is a design classic and this one has been restored and upgraded by Bentley's workers for a hospice close to the Bentley factory in Cheshire.
More than 2,000 hours have been spent sorting out the bus by 59 of Bentley's workers, many of whom were working short weeks due to a drop in Bentley sales in 2009. The staff were more than happy to give their time for free and the bus has been equipped with a kitchen, shelves and bespoke work surfaces to help St Luke's Hospice use it as a community bus to raise money.
The entire bus has been restored and hand-stitched leather used for much of the furnishing. Even the old ticket bin has been converted to work as a donation tin for the hospice.
Bentley's man in charge of the project was Gary Lazenby, who said: "This has been a labour of love for all those involved. Bentley's staff are incredibly proud to apply their skills to this bus and we're very grateful to all the local suppliers who provided materials free of charge."
Karen Burns, corporate fundraiser for St Luke's, said: "Bentley's support has been invaluable and we are astounded by our new community bus. This is a world first - a bus finished by Bentley - with plush leather interior and Bentley wings on show."
Alisdair Suttie - 27 Nov 2009