The Routemaster’s designers were told it had to be good to look at, and bright, hence the famous red colour
The Routemaster was introduced to London’s streets in 1956 and is a superbly designed and much loved London icon.
London Transport’s chief engineer Albert Durrent and industrial designer Douglas Scott were jointly responsible for its design which paid homage to aircraft manufacturing techniques. The lightweight, non-corroding integral construction of the body and chassis was aluminium, like the Spitfire’s. Hydraulic brakes were also from aircraft designs.
Power-assisted steering helped drivers get in and out of the London traffic more easily, and the superb transmission meant the driver could change gear at full throttle without jolting the passengers. Reliable heaters and window openers, combined with the classic open boarding platform at the back kept it warm in winter and cool in summer.
Originally meant to last 20 years, the Routemaster was still going strong 50 years later. When Routemasters were withdrawn from regular service in 2005, London lost one of the most efficient and reliable forms of transport the city has ever had.
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