Old Bus Photos > 1950s Leyland Royal Tiger - Autobuses Metropolitanos SA (Havana, Cuba)
1950s Leyland Royal Tiger - Autobuses Metropolitanos SA (Havana, Cuba)
June 10, 2003
The following photo(s) are © copyrighted by Alfred Mussert (USA)
Hi Bernie,
This may be of interest to the gentleman who sent in
the photo of the 1964 Leyland Olympic. In the early 1950s there were 2 main competing city bus companies in Havana, Cuba. One was the "COA" (Cooperativa de Omnibus Aliados), which used exclusively GM products; and the other one was the "Autobuses Metropolitanos SA", which used exclusively Leyland products in the 1950s.
These last ones were painted white with only a dark navy blue stripe running the lenght of the body, just below the windows. They had a 3 speed manual transmission. (as opposed to the later Leyland Olympic, which had an electro/vacuum assisted semi automatic transmission)
I am sending 2 photos of the type of bus, which I've just found. The generic name of the model was "Royal Tiger" and was one of the first European made buses with the engine placed horizontally under the floor.
The buses that were sold to Cuba had a different door configuration than what the photos show, and this has to do mainly with the fact that in England and Ireland people drive on the left side of the road.
I think this photos will bring many memories to all those who visited Havana in the 1950s. By the way, I would like to find out more about these specific model and its variants.
Cordially
Al
Photo of a vintage Leyland ad for these buses from the Feb 1952 issue of Bus Transportation magazine.
Submitted by Malcolm Thwaite
YOUR COMMENTS
The Leyland Royal Tigers (white with dark blue stripe ending with a 'V' at the front) that were built for Cuba in the early to mid 1950s were sold to Autobuses Modernos SA. Approximately 620 were delivered with bodies by Saunders-Roe(Anglesey)Ltd of Beaumaris, Anglesey, North Wales. I was an apprentice at SR in 1954.
worked sr.1950s on cuba buses. my father was test driver on buses i have photos of tigers parked at raf mona awaitig shipment.i also have photos of the experimental double decker built at sr. i did my apprenticeship on the cuba buses building the roof section.have more infos ,like layland knockdowns driven by my father from midlands to beaumaris.these were just the chasies no cabs for drivers protection. ted.
Hi All:
Buenos Aires, Argentina was also the home of Leyland buses. They were bodied mostly by MCW, but I recall a batch of Royal Tigers with S-R bodies too. These arrived with Olympic and a batch of Royal Tiger the latter two bodied by MCW. These buses were imported in 1951.
Later as tram replacements in 1962, Buenos Aires again purchased Olympics and Royal Tigers, the latter bodied by MCW,Marshall and locally by Serra and Chicago.
I still remember that the Olympics proudly wore their flying "wings" emblem with the words "El Omnibus Ingles" on them.
Regards from New York,
Tito
Hi all... I have fond memories of riding the Leyland buses in Havana as a child. Because they were painted white, people referred to them as "enfermeras" (nurses).
in 1948 saunders roe made several bodies a chassis made by aec-aclo, and shipped to s.paulo brasil did yo have more informations about this.
CUTCSA in Montevideo, Uruguay had this type of buses, too. They were in use till the 80s. They were known as "Cubanitos".
I did drive these Leyland Royal Tiger buses in Cuba in the late 60's and the 70's. Their model is Leyland 600. Just for the record, the company that brought them in was originally named "Autobuses Modernos, S.A.", and later (1958, or so) renamed to "Omnibus Metropolitanos, S.A."
Under the first name they had the white livery shown in the ad, and were commonly referred to by the public as "las enfermeras" (the nurses). When the company name changed, so did the paint scheme, to an burnt orange and beige, with a green stripe. They had a Leyland diesel engine, located under the floor, with 6 horizontal cylinders, and a 4-speed manual transmission; no power steering, and they were hard to turn when loaded at slow speeds. Their brakes were perhaps the only weak point, otherwise they were very strong and durable.
I remember the "Royal Tigers". My father use to drive one when I was very young, I also had two uncles who worked for A.M. in Havana. Back in the early 50's. That was our Sunday drive back in the day. It simce that the owner of A.M. lived in the same town of San Francico de Paula and would help the locals get jobs. My father went on his own in '54 and then we had come to america in "62
Hello
I do own a Royal Tiger!
Mine (with two partners) is 1975 Mk.2 Worldmaster, on of the last ever built.
It has an Israeli made "Merkavim" body.
It is very easy to drive since it has a Pneumo Cyclic semi automatic Wilson Gear box and power steering.
We have just finished restoring it and it is the only bus in Israel which has a full "Collectible Vehicle" licence plate.
We are now at the beginning if the restoration of another Mk.2 bus, 1966.
I own a 1964 Royal Tiger Worldmaster with cyclo gears and power steer. Aluminum body by PMC Adelaide. Converted it to a motor home in 1999. Has a comet 2 speed diff fitted, does 120km/h if you put your foot down. We love it!
When private companies in Cuba used to buy buses.
http://www.omot.org/frame2.htm
http://www.omot.org/roster/GMOldLookList/index.html
www.omot.org/roster/GMOldLookList/tdh4512.html
The Ohio Museum of Transportation
GM TDH4512 U.S. Production List
Transit / 6-71 Diesel Engine / Hydraulic Transmission / 45 passenger / Model 12
Length = 35 foot / Width = 96 inch
Manufactured from 1953 to 1959
Serial # Notes Property Fleet Number Delivery Date
0845-0853 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 03/55
0860-0867 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 03/55
1017 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 01/56
1354 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 01/56
1541-1543 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 01/56
1547-1551 - GMOO to cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 04-05/56
1872-1971 - GMOO to Cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 11-12/56
2295-2344 - GMOO to Cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 06-07/57
2349-2398 - GMOO to Cooperativo de Omnibus Aliados (Cuba) - 11/57
Notes:
Return to the GM Production Index
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