Classic Toyota bus back in service

TOYOTA has restored one of its classic buses and is now using it again to transport staff around its factory in Japan.

The 1969 Toyota Coaster looks better than new after a full rebuild by workers at the company’s HQ. They had to scour the shelves of warehouses to find unused original parts to help bring back the classic bus to full health.

Many of the bus’ fittings had to be remade from drawings that were used when the bus was first designed in the 1960s. Toyota decided it was worth the effort to restore the bus when it turned out this was the prototype that set the template for thousands of Coaster buses that followed.

The Coaster name is still in use today by Toyota for one of its bus models. They are sold all over the world, but a Toyota spokesman said: ‘We had to bring this bus back from the scrapheap as it is unique and holds a very special place in our history. It also has a great appeal for all of our staff who have worked on the Coaster over the years, so it’s great to see this one back in action.’

By Press Association reporters