Smith's Luxury Coaches Dennis Lancets

Here are some pictures of four of the Dennis Lancet fleet of Smith's Luxury Coaches of Reading. They were taken at Hampton Court in 1961 (I think), where they arrived together carrying an excursion or private party. EDP 818 and 819 both seem to have a splendid Duple body of the style (wasn't it called the "A" type?) that was very popular in the late 1940s/early 1950s. EDP 820 appears to carry a similar body, but of full fronted construction.

JXK 540 Lancet J3 new to Mountain S.W.3. in 1948 purchased by Smiths in 1958 when it was rebodied
by themselves as a FC35F, not sure about its original body though maybe some one will let me know.
It is being closely followed by LTE trolleybus No. 1426.

EDP 820 Lancet J3 new in 1950 with a Duple FC33F body, it was third in a batch, the other two, photos of which are below but both of them had half canopy body work.

EDP 819 Lancet J3 new in 1950 with a Duple C35F body.

JXK 540 again I do not think the policeman is checking the tax disc.

A closer look at the full fronted Duple bodied EDP 820 and a closer look at the policeman aswell.

JXK 540 with EDP 820 after dropping of their passengers with just a glimpse of the front mudguard of EDP 818 or 819 to the left.

EDP 818 the other of the half canopy Duple C35F bodied Lancet J3.

I hope you like my photos of Smiths Dennis Lancet J3s and I do look forward to learning more in very welcome comments from Ian Thompson and other knowledgeable connoisseurs of this fascinating operator.

Roger Cox
07/2011

27/07/11 - 12:03

What a splendid set of photographs from a long lost time. I cannot offer any technical import or information about the operator but if anyone is interested in the cars then I can identify those in fine detail! Thank you for sending them in.

Richard Leaman

31/07/11

Thanks to Roger Cox for posting these pictures. One of my greatest regrets is that I never recorded the numbers or other details of the Smith's Dennis Lancets. By the end of 1964 only a handful remained. They were among a motley collection of single-deckers by then demoted to contract work. Some were Lancets and some were just-postwar AEC Regals, some with original bodies and some fitted with bodies taken off the petrol-engined Leyland Cheetahs that used to ferry us in the early 50s from school to swimming pool.
The office didn't like sending out these scruffy but sound old vehicles, particularly on white-collar contract runs, unless nothing else was available. My view was that an elderly heavyweight was a far more fitting conveyance for anyone---regardless of collar hue---than a flashy lightweight, but I mustn't let my dislike of the Bedford SB intrude on the topic...
On Wednesday I'm meeting Graham Low, who took hundreds of bus photos in Wokingham, Reading and Oxford in the 50s and 60s.
If anyone can cast fresh light on Smith's Dennises, Graham can.

Ian Thompson

10/01/12 - 16:45

Ian is it possible to ask Mr Graham Low of Wokingham if he has any photographs of Smith's of Reading, coaches and personnel, from 1962 - 1966?

Doug Adams

15/07/16 - 07:55

I have just come across this link that gives useful details of the Smith's fleet around 1960, which is when the pictures above were taken. See here

Roger Cox

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