click image to enlarge

1947 AEC Regal 1 Coach Chassis

The kind donation of this vehicle by Mr. Reno Abela of Supreme Travel Ltd. (better known locally as Cancu) is an extremely rare and unique selection for our collection. Unique in particular for it never never actually worked in Malta although it has spent some 43 years here in the sun.

Corgi Model

Originally supplied to Wallace Arnold Tours Ltd. of Leeds in the UK in 1947 under UK registration KUM386 with a Duple A C33F body. It was subsequently transferred to Hardwicks in 1952 then returned to WA in 1954. It was eventually  withdrawn and sold in October 1955 in George Wimpey Construction.  It was at this time believed to have been used to ferry workers to construction sites and then in 1964 it came to Malta. Wimpey had several projects at the time although it is not known whether it was Wimpey who imported it to Malta.  The trail then goes cold until Cancu purchased the Regal (without its coach body which had already been removed at some stage) around April 1998 form a quarry in San Gwann. 

Meantime the original plan to convert it to a coach or a bus was put aside and it was rested in a field adjacent to Cancu's garage in Zejtun until this year.  On behalf of the Trust Peter Skerry then asked Reno whether he would donate the vehicle in order it could be rebuilt which he kindly agreed. His son Luke pulled in out of the field where we were all pleasantly surprised that there was a lot more to it than we originally thought.

Corgi Model
Over the next few weeks it was transferred to Bezzina Ship Yard & Repair Ltd where it was power washed and subjected to close inspection.  The accompanying news pages show its removal to Zinnu's Garage where the engine was to be prepared for starting and its eventual restoration is to take place. There is also mention of the kind donation from Mr. Terry Partridge in the UK of a similar but not identical Duple A body for which common original parts are being rescued and urgently required templates for the eventual replication of the original Duple Body. 

It is to be finished in the original livery of Wallace Arnold and whereas we do not have an original photo of either the vehicle or the livery we are fortunate in that Corgi
produced  a model of the Regal in the WA colours of the period.  A photograph is attached to give you some idea asto what it will look like when finally restored. In addition we have some scans in the historic photos of an original Wallace Arnold sales booklet on their in country tour services which we hope you will find interesting.