BEAULIEU’S popular veteran bus which has driven thousands of visitors around the attraction is celebrating 40 years since its star appearance in the classic film The Thirty Nine Steps.

The much-loved replica of a 1912 London bus made its film debut recreating an early 20th century London street scene in the 1978 film adaption of John Buchan’s novel.

The impressive replica of a London General Omnibus Company B-type double-decker was the perfect prop in the film which starred Robert Powell, John Mills and David Warner.

Powell played Richard Hannay who was working to foil an assassination attempt of a foreign power by secret agents in the lead-up to World War I.

One of the most dramatic moments sees Powell hang from the hands of Big Ben and the veteran bus is a key feature, seen transporting Edwardian-style passengers around Parliament Square below and stopping for them to watch the action unfold.

The bus was one of six National Motor Museum vehicles which featured in the film – including the 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, one of Beaulieu’s most prized cars which carried celebrities to the Royal Premier of the film in Leicester Square.

This was not the only time it featured in a film, having also appeared in 1975’s Love Among the Ruins, a period TV drama starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier and set in Edwardian times.

Beaulieu’s workshop engineers have kept the bus running for 45 years of service, modifying and improving its braking system, steering and parts of its body structure. In 1995, the worn-out original engine was replaced with a new, old stock ‘crate’ unit which had been destined to power a diesel generator. The beefed-up six-cylinder engine is slow-revving with a heavy-duty crankshaft which meets demands of low-speed motoring.

Fully road-legal, the veteran bus can be seen on the open road being driven to and from its MOT test each year. With no windscreen or cab doors, a warm coat for the driver is a necessity!

Rides on the bus are included in general admission tickets.