Superior coaches - Andrew Roberts

Originally established as haulage contractors in 1928, L. F. Bowen acquired "Royal George Coaches" and six motor coaches just before World War II. These vehicles were taken over for forces transportation. After the war, L. F. Bowen acquired a brand new fleet of Santus bodied Dennis coaches and adopted the name of "Superior Coaches". In the following boom years of post war motor coach transport, Bowen's built up the fleet to some 80 vehicles and also operated over twenty commercial vehicles on contract to I.C.I. The expansion was achieved by the acquisition of many existing coach fleets in the Midlands together with their excursion, express travel and overseas tour licences. In recent years the Bowen group has expanded its activities into Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire and now carries some 50,000 passengers a year in the touring division. Andrew Roberts surveys the group's entire history and the book is complete with a host of black and white and colour photographs, together with detailed fleet lists.