1922 Tilling-Stevens TS3A Open Top Double Deck Bus

Offered by Bonhams | Staplehurst, U.K. | June 14, 2014

Photo – Bonhams

Thomas Tilling operated a very large horse-drawn omnibus service in London beginning in 1847. They built their first motor buses in 1911. W.A. Stevens invented a hybrid gas-electric bus and joined Tilling during the 1910s. That’s right, this thing is a hybrid.

This 1922 TS3A was a new model, replacing the original Tilling buses. The gas engine is a 5.7-liter straight-four making 40 horsepower (click here for some crazy technical details). The bus will seat 48 (22 inside and 26 outside).

Banfield rescued this thing from a scrapyard and began the restoration in 1972. It wasn’t finished until 2007. It is the last surviving example of a TS3A. If you’ve always wanted a red, London double-decker, here’s one of the first. It should sell for between $150,000-$190,000.

Update: Sold $367,295.