Crimson Tours (St Ives)
1962
Bedford SB3
Duple Super Vega C41F

675 OCV proclaims herself to be a 1962 vehicle, with Duple Super Vega bodywork in the fleet of Crimson Tours, St Ives, Cornwall. This distinction is important, as I know of two others and there may be more! I used to work with a chap from St Ives, Ringwood, Hampshire. Despite using the postcode, his mail was continually misdirected to Huntingdonshire or Cornwall. I suppose folk in those places had the same trouble. Anyway, back to the vehicle. She’s an example of the Bedford SB3, with C41F seating. We see her at Showbus, Duxford, on another day it didn’t rain, 29 September, 1996. I have severe doubts about the legality of that number plate.

Photograph and Copy contributed by Pete Davies

07/09/15 – 07:16

Bedford SB3 675 OCV is a valid, original and still currently in use registration, from "vehicleenquiry.gov" date first registered was 14th June 1962 with 7630cc petrol engine.
Details from "buslistsontheweb" are;
675 OCV Bd SB3 88799 Du 1145/55 C41F 8/1962 New to Crimson,St Ives.

07/09/15 – 07:19

Lots of other pictures of it found via googling the reg No.
They all have White on Black plates, I wonder if, at the time of your photo, the owners had experimented with the more modern reflective plates and fitted them the wrong way round with the Black on Yellow at the front.

John Lomas

08/09/15 – 07:00

Could a misprint have slipped in somewhere? 7630cc sounds like a pretty hefty engine for an SB!

Ian T

08/09/15 – 07:01

To clarify, I’m in no doubt that the registration is correct. What puzzles me is the use of black on white plate at the back. As John Lomas suggests, they may have been fitted incorrectly.

Pete Davies

08/09/15 – 07:02

I photographed this coach at a rally on 24 August 2015 and it had white on black number plates. www.ipernity.com/doc/davidslater-spoddendale/

David Slater

09/09/15 – 07:14

David, I notice on your photo, the rear bumper trim has been fitted. I could be wrong ‘not unusual’ but in the days of black number plates, weren’t these made of glass or perspex and illuminated from behind?

Ronnie Hoye

09/09/15 – 07:15

The standard engine for a Bedford SB3 is the Bedford 300 ci. 4.927L Petrol unit so if VOSA website has this correct I recon it can whizz up hills without changing down the gears with no problems.

Ron Mesure

09/09/15 – 07:16

The coach looks all the better for the black on white number plates as in David’s photo, and also appears to have acquired a rear bumper too. Back as nature intended!

Brendan Smith

14/09/17 – 06:51

Regarding the unusual number plate in the picture above, I think all we are seeing is a standard plastic black on yellow plate behind the glass but the yellow has faded which did happen in period to some early plates. Having new correct white on black raised character plates is vastly better!

Richard Leaman

15/09/17 – 06:34

With regard to the engine, 7630cc sounds like the capacity of the Bedford diesel engine fitted to the YRQ. So I reckon that’s what it’s got, and someone has forgotten to change the fuel type in the registration details.

Peter Williamson

16/09/17 – 06:56

675 OCV still has its 300 cu in (4.9 litre) petrol engine.
DVLA listing is wrong.

John Wakefield