The bus scene on Malta has long been a preserve of elderly buses imported from the UK. Buses from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, some even older, are still in regular service there, and have often been heavily rebuilt and customised by their owner drivers. 60 or so redundant London Transport AEC Swifts were exported, and a remarkable number survive today. There are also AECs of various other varieties, alongside Bedfords, Albions, Leylands and various other historic marques.

These buses are privately owned and operate the yellow "route bus" services driven by their owners. The owners are pround of their vehicles and of their engineering expertise, and often rebuild and embellish their prized possessions in a very individual way. However the situation will change soon, as the government is to change the system with owners becoming contractors of the government to drive their new fleet of low-floor buses. The old buses will be taken off the road for good (with most being scrapped to prevent subsequent re-use), and 2010 will probably be the last full year of the current system.

Mac Head, a regular correspondent and visitor to the island, has sent updated versions (January 2010) of both the Ex London AEC Swifts list and the Other AECs list. Mac has also sent photographs of very many of them, including some from sister island Gozo. Photos are in two sections, one for the Swifts and one for the other AECs.

AECBus acknowledges Bus Lists on the Web, which has been a resource for much of the first owner and bodywork information on this and other pages on the site.

If you would like to add information or photos to this page please email the author at

London Swifts

EBY 534 (ex SMS572) - seen in April 2008 - is one of very few to operate in largely original form. The majority of those still running have been extensively rebuilt over the years	EBY 534 again, in the company of rebuilt FBY 656 (ex SM14) - providing a comparison between the original and a restyled model.	Another still in largely original form is Marshall bodied former SM11, now registered FBY 675, also pictured at work in April 2008.
Former SMS232 (DBY 380) has received some embellishments to the front but is otherwise in original form.	SMS327 (EBY 525) is another to gain only minor modifications, and was seen at work in April 2008.	Former SMS603 (EBY 633) was seen in October 2008.
Some of the ex London Swifts have been modified with an extra entrance step to enable a flat floor throughout. This is demonstrated by DBY 420 (former SMD427). Rebadging of buses with different model or manufacturer names is a common custom too.	Former SM13 (DBY 321) has also had the high-floor conversion and some frontal modifications, but its origins are unmistakeable. It also pretends to be a different AEC model.	Here's another one claiming to be a Reliance. FBY 779 is former SMS280, and was pictured in October 2008.
Former SM16 (EBY 554) has frontal embellishments but its origins are still clear. It was new to LT as a single-door vehicle with Marshall body - neither of which featured in later deliveries. It was seen in October 2008.	EBY 564 (ex SMS268) was also pictured in October 2008. Although some of the very first batch of Marshall bodied Swifts are on the island, this one had a Park Royal dual-doorway body when new.	Former SMD60 (EBY 576) looking smart in April 2008. It proudly proclaims its AEC origins alongside its claim to be a Marshall bodied vehicle (it is a member of the Park Royal batch that followed on immediately after the first 50 Marshall Swifts). It has also had the high-floor modification.
EBY 589 (ex SMS292) in April 2008.	EBY 623 (ex SMS274) in April 2008.	FBY 641(ex SMS202) in October 2008.
FBY 642 (ex SMS243) in April 2008	Marshall bodied former SM33 (FBY 662) in April 2008	Marshall bodied former SM9 (FBY 738) in October 2008
FBY 744 (ex SMS258) in April 2008	FBY 763 (ex SM34) in October 2008. Significant rebuilding is evident when compared with sister FBY 765 above.	FBY 756 (SMS275) in September 2008.
FBY 776 (ex SMS238) has been significantly rebuilt with restyled front and sides, and sports a plethora of alternative model and manufacturers names.	DBY 466 (SM18) is even more radically rebuilt, with its original Marshall body heavily disguised by the high-floor modification, restyled sides and the addition of a Duple Dominant coach front.	The most radical rebuild of all is of former SMS244 (DBY 305), now with high floor, coach style trims on the sides, express coach doors and a completely new front. It's nice to see it still carries an AEC badge though. We can't see if the original AEC instrument binnacle is still there as it is obscured by decorations.
GVH 133 (ex SMS260) is operated by the Malta Education Department as a school bus and was seen at work in September 2008.	Another of the Education Department Swifts is former SMS259 (GVH 140), which was seen in the newer livery for this fleet.	Three of the Education Department Swifts in Pembroke depot. GVH 130 nearest the camers is being cannabalised for spares but GVH 140 and GVH 141 are both still active.

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Other AECs on Malta and Gozo

Ex Northern General Routemaster "RMF588" ran sightseeing tours in London with a number of operators including Big Bus Company, who sold it to Malta sightseeing operator Cancu Supreme Tours in 2008. This picture taken in late 2008 by resident Jules Christian shows it in the livery it had on arrival.	COY 004 in the livery it received in 2009 for sightseeing services on the island. It was pictured in October 2009.	Christopher Cassar emailed in September 2009 to say that his Routemaster RM432 is now resident in the town of San Gwanne in Malta, where he lives. It is now registered SVS 167.
AEC Reliance DBY 300, new to Aberdare DC as TNY 495G. Most of its original Willowbrook body is still intact.	DBY 302, an AEC Reliance rebodied locally by Ciantar, seen at work in October 2009. It was new to Global Coahces as YXD 11.	DBY 327 was assembled locally at the Malta Docks in 1971 out of AEC parts and a body built by Aquilina. It was seen still at work in March 2009.
AEC Reliance DBY 331, new to Knowles of Bolton in 1955 with a Burlingham coach body as HWH 450. It was rebodied by Debono in 2006 and photographed in October 2008.	AEC Reliance DBY 333 received the Malta treatment before it even got there! New in 1968 with a Duple Commander body, it was rebodied with a Plaxton Supreme IV body in 1979 and reregistered HPG 650V while with Thomas of West Ewell. It arrived in Malta around the end of 1987 and has subsequently received a Paramount front.	Sister to DBY 300, DBY 345 has retained the Willowbrook body it had new as TNY 494G.
DBY 346, a Regal III new as HYP 309, and locally rebodied by Zammit	DBY 349 is a 1939 Regal 0662 which arrived on the island in 1960 and has received a locally built Barbara body - still running in October 2008. It was new to City of Oxford as HFC 413 with a Weymann body. A photo of sister HFC 410 with original body is on The Classic Buses Website	DBY 350 has a locally built Farrugia body on a 1960 AEC Mercury truck chassis, and was still at work in October 2008.
Locally rebodied Reliance DBY 369 started life as North Western 860 in 1961 with a Willowbrook body. It was also seen in October 2008.	AEC Mercury DBY 374 with locally built Barbara body in March 2009.	AEC Mercury DBY 408 with locally built Farrugia body in March 2009.
AEC DBY 435 with locally built Barbara body in June 2009.	AEC DBY 438 with locally built Farrugia body in November 2008.	Another locally bodied AEC Mercury, this time by Aquilina, DBY 408 was seen in April 2008.
Another locally rebodied Reliance, DBY 567 was new to Wallace Arnold as Plaxton bodied coach 9191 NW. It was seen at work in September 2008.	EBY 484 is a 1948 Regal III, new a GNY 764, rebodied by Debono.	EBY 498, a 1956 AEC Reliance new as VWE 258 to Sheffield United Tours with a Burlingham body, was rebodied by Aquilina in 1973.
EBY 555 has a locally built Brincat body on a 1957 AEC Mercury truck chassis, and still at work in October 2008. Like many of the highly-customised buses on the island, it has badgework proclaiming it to be from another manufacturer.	EBY 559, another Farrugia bodied AEC Mercury, seen in March 2009.	EBY 603, a 1951 AEC Matador more commonly used as towing vehicles in the UK, has bodywork by Gauci.
EBY 612 derives from an AEC RT chassis, rebuilt as a forward control sbngle decker by Debono.	EBY 628 has a chassis built by the Malta Docks company using AEC components from an imported bus, despite its claim to be a Leyland, and locally built Barbara body.	The bus fleet on neighbouring Gozo consists of vehicles transferred across from the larger island. FBY 019 has a body built locally by Aquilina on an AEC Mercury truck chassis.
FBY 020 is a Duple Dominat bodied Reliance, new as dealer stock in 1979, and pictured on Gozo in March 2009.	FBY 659 has a body by Aquilina on an AEC Mustang truck chassis.	FBY 674, and AEC Reliance new to North Western as RDB 847, with new body by local builder Ciantar.
Another Aquilina body, this time on the 1957 chassis of ex Maidstone & District Reliance YKR 234, and very clearly styled on the Duple Commander. It was still active in October 2008. A picture of preserved sister YKR 224 with its original Beadle body can be found on the Preserved AECs page.	FBY 725 is another example of AEC Mercury / Barbara combination - also pictured in October 2008.	FBY 726, new to Wallace Arnold as Burlingham coach TUA 17, now with an Aquilina body clearly styled on the Duple commander.
Not a Reliance as claimed, but another AEC Mercury with Barbara body. The forward position of the front axle and set back passenger door give away its truck origins. FBY 730 was seen in April 2008.	AEC Reliance FBY 748 has a Brincat body in place of the Duple coach body it had when new to Bostock of Congleton in 1962.	Another of the locally bodied AEC Mercury truck chassis, this time by Debono. FBY 749 was pictured in October 2008.
Another former Burlingham coach, FBY 767 now has a body by Debono that is also styled on the Duple Commander.	FBY 774, another Mercury truck chassis with Aquilina body, seen in March 2009.	1958 AEC Mercury FBY 777, with body by Farrugia, pictured in April 2008.
	FBY 798 has a Barbara body that was built on an AEC Reliance chassis shipped new to Malta in 1964.
ACY 903 is an AEC Reliance coach in the private hire / touring fleet of Cancu Supreme. The Duple Dominant body is still recognisable although the simple refurbishments actually make it look more modern. It was new to a Northampton independent as LBD 929V.	JCY 883 started life as Duple bodied HOD 39E and was rebodied in 1979 with this Plaxton Supreme body, becoming CPM 520T. It went to Malta in 1987 and is now in the fleet of Zarb coaches.	KCY 879 was new to National Travel London and still retains the Plaxton Supreme body it had as BGY 583T. It is a touring coach with Koptaco Coaches.

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