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This Custom Bus Is a Vintage Mobile Cinema and Sole Survivor

Progress is the ability of today's commuter to watch a movie during the commute. Progress is being able to recreate the cinematic experience right in your living room, so you won't have to go out to the theater. Back in the mid-'60s, progress was a custom bus that toured the country as a mobile cinema.
This Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehicles 25 photos
Photo: The Vintage Mobile Cinema (Composite)
This Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehiclesThis Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehicles
The mid-'60s saw the United Kingdom slowly coming out of recession, and one way in which the then-Minister of Transport assumed this would happen faster was by educating the workforce on the various possibilities of increasing efficiency and productivity. And what better way to do that than by using a novel way of propaganda, one that made ample use of the latest technological advances? What better way to do it than with a mobile cinema?

Actually, make that seven mobile cinemas because that's how many units the Ministry commissioned. They used Bedford BS bus chassis, with coachwork by CSC (Coventry Steel Caravans) and cabins by Plaxtons, and were operated by PERA (Production Engineering Research Association). All seven units hit the road at the same time, in 1967, accompanied by matching trailers that initially served as mobile conference rooms and were later modified to feature additional displays.

The idea was simple: to get the country out of the recession faster, you needed higher productivity. To have higher productivity, you needed a more educated workforce, and one efficient way of doing that was by taking the education directly to them. The buses traveled all across the country, showing films on this and similar topics, with factory executives and workers congregating in the trailer afterward to discuss the solutions presented in the projection.

This Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehicles
Photo: The Vintage Mobile Cinema
The bus offered seating for 24 people, seated in rows of two on each side, with an aisle in the middle. Slight elevation was built into the space by means of steps, so the viewing angle remained a good one regardless of where you sat in the room. The projectionist was seated over the driver's cab on a platform inside the glassed dome, and he got to work as soon as the driver killed off the lights on the nearby control pad.

The project didn't last a decade and had a debatable degree of success. In 1974, all seven units, including their trailers, were sold off at auction and, for decades, lost to time. Only one unit has survived and has been through two different restorations and, after 45 years, was finally reunited with its original trailer. The pair is still very much around today, telling a compelling story of determination and hard work – of the people who found and restored them, hellbent on keeping this British icon and sole survivor alive.

The second chapter of the story starts in 2005, when Ollie Halls and partner Emma Giffard of Somerset, England, bought the bus. They worked almost non-stop for five full years to bring it back to its original state, to the extent that such a thing was possible given the condition of the vehicle. The original Bedford 300 gas engine had long died and was replaced with a Bedford 330 diesel from a Bedford TL, mated to a 5-speed Turner transmission. The seats were also replaced and, because of their size, the cinema now had a reduced capacity of 22 people.

This Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehicles
Photo: The Vintage Mobile Cinema
The couple completed the restoration in 2010 at a total cost of £25,000 ($31,050 at the current exchange rate), not including the many work hours. They took the bus back on the road as a mobile cinema and, as the second video available below will show, the first screening was actually a documentary on the restoration. While working on the bus, they were also able to locate and buy the trailer, but they put off the restoration on that one until they could finish the bus.

In 2015, Ollie and Emma sold the bus for a reported £125,000 ($155,300) because extensive touring no longer suited their life as parents to very young kids. Ben Moorhouse bought it, restored it again in 2019, and is now working on completing the trailer. The bus is still very much active, making appearances at country and music festivals, cinematography events, and historic meetings, and is also available as a rental for private events of all kinds.

This Mobile Cinema bus is the only one left from of a series of 7 custom vehicles
Photo: The Vintage Mobile Cinema
It's come a long way since the '60s, and not just in terms of the many miles it's traveled all these years after it was brought back to life. It now boasts an HD projector and a surround system, has climate control, and is no longer a smoker-friendly space as it would have been back in those days when the consequences of smoking were still unknown. But it retains its old personality, which is what has turned it into an icon: it's still a unique (now literally so) custom bus, a quirky little piece of British history, and, at the end of the day, a decent cinema that delivers the full experience that no smartphone could ever reproduce.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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