Classic Bus Depot > 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
Reader Comments
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
Tito Davila | Sep 19, 06 | 2:00 pm
I am looking for a model of a 1966 leyland tiger, My step dad has one. It has a door at front and one at back behind rear wheel left side. Do you know where I can get a model of this bus.
Thanks
Ben
March 8, 2009 12:52:54 AM EST Ben | Jun 24, 10 | 9:01 pm
January 13, 2010 12:24:09 PM EST miguel angel | Jun 24, 10 | 9:01 pm
And now I drive tours buses VanHool T 2145 and Volvo 9700 series.
May 27, 2010 2:10:28 PM EDT Victor T Barris | Jun 24, 10 | 9:02 pm
I was born in the city of Camaguey and back in the 1960'S I rode buses in Havana like the old blue GMC.
I really liked the Leyland and Pegaso a lot
Now I live in North Carolina and today I enjoy driving the T 2145 VanHools and 9700 series Volvo.
They're really nice buses to make real hard turns.
Was the Leylands 600 hard to make turns?
May 27, 2010 2:22:05 PM EDT Victor T Barris | Jun 24, 10 | 9:03 pm
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