27/09/2026
🚌 A proper blast from the past – the Leyland Leopard 🚌
One of the vehicles that caught the eye at this year’s Stoke Prior Steam Rally was this superbly preserved 1981 Leyland Leopard, brought along by our friends at Royal Motorways.
Royal Motorways not only generously sponsored this year’s rally, but also gave visitors the chance to get up close to a genuine piece of British road transport history.
For anyone with an interest in buses and coaches, the Leyland Leopard needs little introduction. Built by Leyland from the 1960s through to the 1980s, the Leopard became a familiar sight on Britain's roads, particularly in coach and private-hire fleets.
By 1981, when this particular Leopard was built, these coaches were a very familiar part of everyday British life. School trips, seaside excursions, holidays, day trips, private hire and long-distance coach journeys — if you travelled by coach during the 1970s or 80s, there's a good chance you travelled on something very similar.
And there's something particularly special about seeing one today in such beautifully preserved condition. The styling, the seating, the dashboard, the sound of the engine and even that unmistakable atmosphere of an old coach all bring back memories of an era when travelling by coach was an experience in itself.
Rather than simply being preserved as a static exhibit, Royal Motorways' Leopard is still available for private hire, giving people the opportunity to experience this wonderful old coach out on the road.
It can be hired for parties, local tours, weddings, special occasions and much more — so you can do more than just admire a piece of transport history; you can actually travel in it!
A huge thank you to Royal Motorways for keeping this fantastic Leopard preserved and on the road, and for bringing it along to the rally for everyone to enjoy. ❤️
We're fairly sure Paul was admiring the engineering and transport heritage… although Liz remains convinced he was actually checking whether it had enough seats for his next escape attempt! 😂
