Bristol KSW5G – it was lucky enough to go down in history as the bus for Paul McCartney and Wings' European tour in 1972

What could be better than an exciting summer trip by car or bus, with access to all possible household amenities, and even more. Many people on the planet will agree with this, and that is why the popularity of motorhomes and campervans has not subsided for many decades, and is even increasing.


Among these “caring” people was a world-famous star - one of the members of the legendary Fab Four The Beatles - Sir James Paul McCartney. Imagine, the 16-time Grammy Award winner, back in 1972, with his band Wings, went on a summer tour of Europe "Wings Over Europe" by bus.


It was a 5 Bristol KSW1953G double decker, which doesn't have all the bells and whistles of modern campers, but has become one of the most famous buses ever. Of course, the tour of a famous and popular rock band played an important role in this.

The Bristol is based on an Eastern Coachworks body and originally had a closed top deck. At first it was used only by Eastern National and operated local routes in Chelmsford, Essex. In 1966, it was converted into an open-top bus and began transporting holidaymakers to and from the seaside resort town of Clacton-on-Sea Butlins.

It is a fact that it was this open-top configuration that made the double-decker bus attractive to McCartney and his band when they decided to tour Europe. It was decided that this way they could enjoy all the delights of pleasant summer weather during the tour.


- McCartney said in an interview.


The upper level of the Bristol KSW5G served mainly as a solarium and stage for creative performances by the band, while the interior was conducive to a relaxing family holiday. The transport was equipped with bunk beds for children, household appliances necessary for cooking, a stereo system and other equipment.


The choice of color scheme for the “touring” motorhome is not accidental. It is based on the theme of the Beatles' popular album covers - Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour. The application was entrusted to the famous designer Jeffrey Cleghorn, who also worked with The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and The Who.

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 eventually carried the famous singers and their families through nine countries, covering a total of 12070 km of travel. 25 concerts were played. In addition, the iconic James Bond theme, Live and Let Die, was written during this tour.

Following the completion of these tours, the bus was returned to regular service and was primarily used for special event rentals. The flamboyant livery was removed, standard seats returned, and by 1980 the bus was completely out of service.


But luckily, a man named Roger White saved the Bristol from its fate as scrap metal and even restored it to its Wings touring days. The bus changed hands several times over the following decades, and was even displayed as a tourist attraction near a rock cafe in Tenerife in the 1990s.

In 2017 she returned to the UK and changed hands again, having her undergo a complete restoration and interior refurbishment to her 1972 tour configuration. As a result, in November 2022, the bus, with its “signature” seats, wooden bunk beds and an upper deck lounge that doubled as a stage, was presented at the NEC classic car show.


This commemorative motorhome is now in full working order. It is powered by the original Gardner 5LW 6975cc five-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. cm and a power of 78 hp. pp., which is paired with a four-speed manual transmission. And yes, it's up for auction again. There is no doubt that it will find a new caring owner, even though its price has already reached £17 (one day left until the end of the auction). Just two million and a bit rubles is not that much money for the legendary Bristol KSW750G, what do you think?