The History

As part of its diversification policy within the now deregulated bus and coach industry, Grampian Regional Transport Ltd sought to improve its position in the field of private hire work. To this end the company acquired two local private hire and coach tour operators, GE Mair Hire Services Ltd of Bucksburn in 1987, and Kirkpatrick Coaches of Banchory in 1989.

GRT Ltd 904 came into the Kirkpatrick fleet in 1990 as a second hand acquisition from its original owner, HR Richmond Ltd (Epsom Coaches) of Epsom, Surrey. The chassis is an imported Mercedes-Benz L608D and has a vertical engine at the front which drives the back axle through a synchromesh gearbox; vehicles of this type were the last to have the traditional layout of vertical engine at the front, a manual gearbox and drive to the back axle. This chassis had been designed for light commercial vehicles but became very popular in the UK in the mid-1980s for small buses and coaches as well as use for vans, mobile homes, etc. The bodywork is a Mini Supreme design by Plaxton of Scarborough and has coach seating for 20 passengers.

GRT Ltd 904 was withdrawn from service by First Aberdeen Ltd in 1999 when it was bought for preservation.