Paul McCartney and Wings Used This Open-Top Bristol Bus To Tour Europe in 1972

This 1953 Bristol KSW5G double-decker bus that took the English musician and the Wings on their 1972 "Wings Over Europe" tour bus might not come with all the bells and whistles of modern campers and overlanders, but it's one of the most famous buses ever, and the celebrity provenance certainly adds a lot of sentimental value to the vehicle, especially for fans of the rock band who have been dreaming of putting their hands on a piece of their legacy.

It features bodywork by Eastern Coachworks and was originally built with a closed upper deck. In its early life, it was used by operator Eastern National and performed local bus routes in Chelmsford, Essex. In 1966, it was converted to an open-top bus and moved on to transporting holiday-makers to and from Butlins in Clacton.

It was specifically this open-top configuration that made the double decker appealing to McCartney and his band when they decided to take the road across Europe. The bus was chosen to allow them to enjoy the pleasant European weather during the tour, with the upper level basically acting as a sun deck, and the interior was specifically customized for them to bring their families with them, with bunk beds for children, cooking appliances, and a stereo system. A psychedelic paint scheme inspired by The Beatles' Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour album covers was applied to the exterior by renowned artist Geoffrey Cleghorn.

"We knew we were going to tour in Europe and that the weather would be nice, and the idea of being stuck in a bus all the time, going from city to city, hotel to hotel, wasn't too appealing, so we decided to travel around in an open-top bus and get some sunshine as we traveled from one place to another," McCartney said in an interview.

The bus he chose for the tour became more than just a means to an end; it was a living and working haven for the band's members and their families, as well as a creative space. It is believed that hits like the iconic James Bond theme Live and Let Die, which was recorded later that same year, were written on this same bus.

The "Wings Over Europe" was Paul McCartney's first major tour with Wings and marked his return to touring since The Beatles stopped performing live in 1966. The Bristol bus transported the famous singers and their families across nine countries for 25 shows in 1972, covering over 7,500 miles (12,070 km) during the tour.

After concluding its touring duties, the bus was returned to regular service, largely used for special event hire. Its psychedelic custom paint was removed, mustard gold paint was applied, and standard seating was re-instated. It was out of service by 1980, and luckily, a man called Roger White saved it from scrap and restored it with the Wings colors. In the decades that followed, the bus exchanged hands various times, and it even ended up being displayed as a tourist attraction outside a rock-themed café in Tenerife in the 1990s.

It returned to the UK in 2017 for sale, and the current owner acquired it in 2019 and commissioned a thorough restoration, which was carried out by specialists David Hoare of Chepstow Classic Buses and Bradley Earl of Simon Morris Thorpe in Essex. The restoration work included a faithful recreation of Geoffrey Cleghorn's psychedelic artwork and a complete remodel of the interior to its 1972 tour configuration.

The fully restored bus, complete with an original tour case donated by drummer Denny Seiwell, named seats for each of the bus occupants, wooden bunk beds, and an upper deck lounge that doubled as a stage for live music events, was unveiled at the NEC Classic Motor Show in November 2022. During its stay at the Federation Village stand of The Federation Of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, various bands played on the bus roof stage, called "The McCartney Stage" and inspired by The Beatles' 1969 Rooftop Concert.

As a testament to its authenticity and legacy, the Bristol bus is licensed by Sir Paul McCartney's company MPL to display the artwork, the names of the band members, as well as personal photos. (You will notice that each band member's name is emblazoned on the rear of the bus.)

This huge piece of rock music memorabilia is now offered for auction out of Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom and is said to be in full working order. Currently road-registered in the UK, the 1953 Bristol bus is powered by an original 6,975cc Gardner 5LW inline five naturally aspirated diesel engine that should be good for around 78 hp, coupled with a four-speed manual transmission.