Malta in the 90s.

[Yoss]

So this came up in another thread the other day but so as not to flood that I'm starting a new one. I was thinking of putting the buses in the bus thread but I've found so many that even that would get flooded so I'm putting everything here so if you get bored you can just ignore it.

Tagging @danthecapriman who encouraged me. 

The buses were a mixture of locally built bodies on old British chassis and some complete British buses with the odd modification just because they felt like it.

This is a fairly typical Maltese body on, I presume, a Leyland Tiger Cub chassis.

 

 

Bristol LH looking quite standard apart from the front bumper.

 

Most old cars were still just being used as cars and thanks to their relaxed MOT standards (if they had MOTs at all) were mostly in a right state but occasionally you would find one that looked genuinely cherished like this Oxford.

 

Fairly unmolested Swift in the company of an Estelle and a Mirafiori.

 

 

 

 

 

There are many many more of these to come.

As mentioned before I have a whole album full of just Maltese Triumph 1300s as they are my speciality. I saw more in my first two weeks in Malta than I've ever seen over here. But more of those later.

 

Feel free to add anything you might have, from any era, not just the 90s. 

[Yoss]

Opel?

 

Well it looks like the front of a Bedford OB, wether it actually is is anyone's guess.

 

 

With the home made bodies no two buses were the same. This one has some rather severe angles on it. There were some very clever bodybuilders over there.

 

There's a whole load of chod here.

Painted back of a number display box with a typically Maltese attitude to life.

And these biblical scenes were quite common above the drivers cabs. 

A modernised* ex London Swift.

Hillman Minx estate. That must have been a rarity even when new.

[danthecapriman]

Great stuff @Yoss keep em coming! I love stuff like this.

 

What actually went on with the buses and trucks? 
I’ve read somewhere that most were ex UK vehicles. Presumably they were new in the UK then when retired or sold off they were bought up by Maltese companies/individuals and shipped out there.

I know the trucks in particular could often have very very long lives over there picking up all sorts of modifications along the way.

[ETCHY]

24 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Opel?

 

Well it looks like the front of a Bedford OB, wether it actually is is anyone's guess.

 

 

With the home made bodies no two buses were the same. This one has some rather severe angles on it. There were some very clever bodybuilders over there.

 

There's a whole load of chod here.

Painted back of a number display box with a typically Maltese attitude to life.

And these biblical scenes were quite common above the drivers cabs. 

A modernised* ex London Swift.

Hillman Minx estate. That must have been a rarity even when new.

Fantastic stuff.
First time we went to Malta would be about 2000 & seeing stuff like 105e Anglia's floating about as regular tatty transport was like travelling back in time for me to being a kid in the late 1970's  early '80's.

The old buses were just a treat to ride on. Bloody uncomfortable, bouncy & frankly scary at times,  but brill.

Every street would have some dodgy old rammel parked on it. Just brilliant !

[busmansholiday]

I was there in the 90's as well as, don't believe a single badge on a Maltese bus, even the Swifts were modified to have underfloor engines mid ships like a Reliance. 

The one that looks like an OB is probably a REO Speedwagon, if I can find a fleet list I'll post it.

[busmansholiday]

https://busesworldwide.org/wp/?page_id=41489

 

Good start.

[Yoss]

22 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

I was there in the 90's as well as, don't believe a single badge on a Maltese bus, even the Swifts were modified to have underfloor engines mid ships like a Reliance. 

The one that looks like an OB is probably a REO Speedwagon, if I can find a fleet list I'll post it.

Oh I know. Some buses would have three or four different badges, most had at least two. They just liked badges which is fair enough.

Most of the Swifts were re-engined but the ones for school buses were pretty much left alone, like this 

But there was one in normal passenger service that was left alone too. I did find it once but I haven't found the pictures yet. It even still had the LT seat moquette albeit with copious amounts of gaffer tape holding some of them together.

[Yoss]

The buses were owned either by individual owner drivers or small companies with maybe four or five buses. But all were painted yellow, orange and white. In earlier days they were painted different colours for different routes but by the time I got there they had standardized the livery. Makes it easier to transfer buses between routes I guess.

But they varied wildly in external condition though always seemed to be clean and tidy inside.

But this bus deserves it's own post. It was spectacular.

Rear lights I think are Farina A55 Cambridge I think. But as @busmansholiday has already pointed out it has a Leyland badge on the back despite having a Thames (Ford) cab. It's entirely possible to put a Leyland engine in a Thames chassis of course. There's also a Mustang badge there too.

 

More evidence of Leyland engine here.

 

The cross flags badge is from a Triumph Herald. And look at that bonnet mascot!

 

Looks even more impressive from inside. And it lights up! The wings glow orange when the lights are on.

 

And you'll have noticed the intricate pinstriping that all the better kept buses had. In fact it seemed to be a thing on all commercial vehicles. This was another fine example.

 

[Rod/b]

Johnny Vegas owns a bus he imported from Malta. You can go and stay in it if that’s your sort of thing.

https://www.melbournehall.com/accommodation/patricia/

[Yoss]

22 minutes ago, Rod/b said:

Johnny Vegas owns a bus he imported from Malta. You can go and stay in it if that’s your sort of thing.

https://www.melbournehall.com/accommodation/patricia/

I'd be far more interested if it was still a working bus. Also they've changed the windows and fitted a door which kind of spoils the spoils the look.

[danthecapriman]

They seem to have taken some real pride in their vehicle to do all the modifications, extra styling and paintwork on them. Keeping them so clean too. 
Many of the trucks I’ve seen on YouTube videos etc are similar. Working vehicles, but there’s always some good paint jobs and pin striping on them.

[ETCHY]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

The buses were owned either by individual owner drivers or small companies with maybe four or five buses. But all were painted yellow, orange and white. In earlier days they were painted different colours for different routes but by the time I got there they had standardized the livery. Makes it easier to transfer buses between routes I guess.

But they varied wildly in external condition though always seemed to be clean and tidy inside.

But this bus deserves it's own post. It was spectacular.

Rear lights I think are Farina A55 Cambridge I think. But as @busmansholiday has already pointed out it has a Leyland badge on the back despite having a Thames (Ford) cab. It's entirely possible to put a Leyland engine in a Thames chassis of course. There's also a Mustang badge there too.

 

More evidence of Leyland engine here.

 

The cross flags badge is from a Triumph Herald. And look at that bonnet mascot!

 

Looks even more impressive from inside. And it lights up! The wings glow orange when the lights are on.

 

And you'll have noticed the intricate pinstriping that all the better kept buses had. In fact it seemed to be a thing on all commercial vehicles. This was another fine example.

 

The Bonneted Thames/Leyland reminds me of one we once went in & travelled I think to Mosta in. The roads were bloody horrendous, the ride was worse , the driver a maniac & I remember my arse constantly being bounced out of the seat & us both literally hanging onto the seat back in front to just stay located.
Bloody brilliant fun it was !

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, Rod/b said:

Johnny Vegas owns a bus he imported from Malta. You can go and stay in it if that’s your sort of thing.

https://www.melbournehall.com/accommodation/patricia/

Then

 

Now

[mat_the_cat]

It irks me that the headlight *still* hasn't been sorted!

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, Rod/b said:

Johnny Vegas owns a bus he imported from Malta. You can go and stay in it if that’s your sort of thing.

https://www.melbournehall.com/accommodation/patricia/

Let me think about that.....

errr - no thanks.

[Yoss]

58 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

The Bonneted Thames/Leyland reminds me of one we once went in & travelled I think to Mosta in. The roads were bloody horrendous, the ride was worse , the driver a maniac & I remember my arse constantly being bounced out of the seat & us both literally hanging onto the seat back in front to just stay located.
Bloody brilliant fun it was !

The first couple of pictures of it in that post by the red phone box were taken in Mosta.

[Yoss]

Fabulous Austin something or other. Again with an illuminated winged bonnet ornament.

 

This is a beast. It has Dodge badges on it but also says Leyland turbo 411  on the sun strip.

 

MG Magnette on the forecourt of a Subaru dealers.

 

[RobT]

Here's a photo I took in Valletta in July 2010.  Montego was mintola.

[bunglebus]

 

I was in Malta in 2013 and 2017. There was a noticeable reduction in the number of interesting old cars in that period, as they were being snapped up and brought to the UK in droves.

Sadly I don't have the 2013 pictures as my idiot ex wife managed to lose access to the online account they were in.

A Daewoo no less

Went back for a better look at the early 60s Beetle

 

[bunglebus]

And inside the Museum;

 

The end

 

[ETCHY]

8 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

And inside the Museum;

 

The end

 

Is that the museum that's in Buggiba ?

[bunglebus]

That's the one. Lots of memorobilia, toys etc too

[Yoss]

34 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

 

I was in Malta in 2013 and 2017. There was a noticeable reduction in the number of interesting old cars in that period, as they were being snapped up and brought to the UK in droves.

Sadly I don't have the 2013 pictures as my idiot ex wife managed to lose access to the online account they were in.

A Daewoo no less

Went back for a better look at the early 60s Beetle

 

Good to see a fair amount of stuff still about.

 

[Yoss]

Have some Triumphs.

I'll start with this one. As you can see most old cars were just that, old cars still being used but a few looked obviously well looked after. This was one of those.

The owner noticed my interest and came out so I explained I had one at home and was the FWD model consultant for Club Triumph and he became very enthusiastic and showed me all round his car. He was after a couple of little bits which I said I had at home so he gave me his address. He kept in touch and would write occasionally sending me pictures of his car until maybe ten years ago (that's a guess, I don't know where the time goes these days) he wrote to say he was selling the car and wanted to offer me first refusal.

I mean it was tempting but I already had one so had to decline the offer. That would have made an interesting collection thread. There was a ferry from Malta to Syracuse in Sicily then another boat to the Italian mainland then just head  north for about 1500 miles. Although as much as I know it was a well maintained car it had never left an island about seventeen miles by nine so a 1500 mile trip might give it a bit of a shock.

 

 

The next two are the same car, though it looks a different colour. Most of the cars were the same colours as we got at home but they did had have some colours that we never got here. Including various shades of beige which I assume we're to help hide the sandy dust.

 

Little did I know when I took this that this would reflect my own fleet twenty five years later, except my Triumph is red and my Škoda Blue.

But if we pan back to take in the majesty of the building they are parked in front of that appears to be a Matra Bagheera with a Ferrari badge on it.

 

Another non standard colour. The photo doesn't show it well but it was a metallic bluey grey. Also of interest* is that it is sitting on what looks like Toledo wheels.

 

Spot the Triumph.

There it is.

[Richard_FM]

Some pictures I took when I visited in 2010, I mostly took pictures of the buses, I did notice there were a lot of JDM cars around.

[mk2_craig]

I went in 2010, I think some sort of annual testing has come in since then (no doubt a Vienna convention or EU membership requirement) but it was like shooting fish in a barrel, shite old cars and commercials everywhere. Prize spot was a yellow mk1 Hyundai Pony but there was top quality chod on every street without exception. 
 

 

Hamster’s Flickr is well worth a browse, there’s even a right hand drive Zaz Tavria on there unbelievably. 

[bunglebus]

Couple more

 

[ETCHY]

When we went in 2019 JDM stuff was prevalent. I mean don't get me wrong if I was a Maltese I'd welcome the extra EU cash & improvement in the cars available & no doubt living standards.  However from the perspective of a tourist wanting to see elderly chod, such as the 105e Anglia that used to just be parked up basically abandoned outside the Barrakka gardens in Valetta, or the crazy buses, the fact they'd largely gone  was a bit sad.

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

23 hours ago, Yoss said:

I'd be far more interested if it was still a working bus. Also they've changed the windows and fitted a door which kind of spoils the spoils the look.

It definitely feels like it's been put out to pasture. From active service over many years to end up with shite windows, gutted interior and long-term parking on grass - it does seem like a one way street in the wrong direction. 

[Yoss]

This is at the ferry port to Gozo.

Gozo is like a mini Malta. It's about a third of the size but with a fraction of the population. It can be reached in an hour or so by ferry from the north west point of of the Maltese mainland. Their buses worked in much the same way but were (and probably still are) painted grey and red.

 

 What's with the English and Scottish flags? Nice bit of pinstriping going on too.

Some work has gone in to this one.

I don't know what the rear lights are from but they won't have been made specifically for this.

 

I got a bit of a surprise on boarding this LH as it had a notice in the cab listing the phone numbers of all the local garages - Southampton, Eastleigh, Ringwood, Poole and Winchester! So it was obviously an ex Hants and Dorset bus. 

There was no sign of it's former identity unfortunately but I remember these primarily doing local routes around Eastleigh.

And back on the mainland I just thought I'd drop this one in. Valetta bus station. Essentially a big roundabout just outside the city walls and possibly one of the greatest places on Earth. It has all been pedestrianised now and the buses moved to a neater straight area just to the left of this picture. I'll admit it does look quite smart and gives the fountain more focus but the new bus station doesn't have the character of the old one.

We always stayed at Bugibba out on the coast and the first trip of the day would be to get the bus in to Valletta. From here the usual plan was just to find a bus we liked the look of and get on it regardless of where it was going. This meant of course we ended up in places that most tourists never saw. Like the hospital. Or once we ended up in the middle of an industrial estate and had lunch in a portakabin. The benefit of this, for me at least, was that wherever you ended up you could have a wander around looking for old cars.