Volvo B58-61 Irizar Urko's
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The vehicle above is thought to be LAJ 998W and is featured on the cover of the Irizar Urko brochure
Unless stated all images (c) Richard Haughey
This page was last updated on 22/09/2007
Here at the Wakefield Files we normally concern. ourselves with Bedford buses & coaches up to around the early 1970' s. However a few other makes such as Morris commercial, Austin & Mercedes Mini Supremes have already been included, we now add another rare1980's coach the Irizar Urko bodied Volvo B58. Which in 1980 proved a radical change in design to the rather dated styles of Plaxton & Duple. With its two level seating & raised rear section roof line the Urko resembled the observation coaches of the 1940's & 50's. The Volvo B58-61 with Irizar Urko body was a rare coach in the UK with only 14 imported by John de Cotta who started an Irizar dealership in 1980. The enterprise ran into difficulties fairly quickly leaving Volvo to bring back some chassis from the Irizar factory in Spain. In 1983 the importation of Irizar bodied vehicles into the United Kingdom were handled by a Douglas Telfer, who in 1984 founded Tramontana of Motherwell. Tramontana are still in the business of coach distributors. Most of the archive information used within this file has been supplied by Douglas Telfer and for this we offer our sincere thanks.The Urko body was at the time an unusual, striking design. Just two Irizar Urko bodied Volvo's are now believed to be left in PSV service, & ironically both are based with Cambridgeshire operators. Three more Urko's are believed to survive as stock car & tractor transporters. The Irizar Urko body was also made available on the Mercedes 303 as well as the Saviem E7 and Magirus chassis's. Build numbers are not known and none are thought to have been imported to the UK. The Irizar Urko spec sheet can be seen here
LAJ 999W Photographed in 1984 at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. Photo Mike Dales
LAJ 999W
LAJ 999W is no stranger to the rally scene, and it was featured in the March 2003 issue of Bus & Coach preservation, New in 1981, along with sister LAJ 998W, (now a stock car transporter) to Dales (Sunseeker Holidays) of Middlesbrough, LAJ 999W later spent time with Shalder of Scalloway, Shetland Isles
in 1987 when it was reregistered FSU 330, & used on Norwegian tours. Returning to the mainland in October 87 it then passed through three other operators, Cumbria Coaches, Carlisle; Abbot Travel, Loanhead; & Voy of Newton Aycliffe by December 1995.
In 1997 it passed to Frank Elliot's Memory Lane Coaches of Warrington where it was refurbished & fitted with a B10M engine,& modified rear end, it was re-registered as MLC 9P. Sold into semi preservation with Tony Gallagher of Cambridge in December 2002 it reverted back to its original registration LAJ 999W & was placed on loan to Andrews Coaches of Foxton, Cambridgeshire where it joined their fleet as an operational vehicle. After purchasing another. Memory Lane Volvo, Plaxton Viewmaster SVU 64W, in December 2003 Tony sold the Urko to Tom Stanhope of Huntingdon where it joined his Byeways fleet, & was re registered with a personal plate, 805 BYE. Finding little use for the coach Tom sold it back to Tony Gallagher in June 2005 when it returned to Foxton on loan again to Andrews Coaches, & reverted to its orgina1 registration LAJ 999W. Ironically it now occasionally meets the other Urko survivor OSV 517 (ODC 426W) when both run to the same school, St Bedes in Cambridge. LAJ 999W is used on the school contract mentioned along with other private hire work as is fitting for a preserved vehicle. In April 2006 LAJ 999W was sold to Andrews Coaches by Mr Gallagher & is now out of preservation once again. The coach remains a fully operational PSV & is available for hire from Andrews (Tel 01223 873002).
Photographed at St Bedes School in Cambridge whist waiting for the afternoon run out. Photo (c) John Wakefield
OSV 517 (ODC 426W)
OSV 517 started life with Stockdale (Voyager International) of Selby in 1981 as ODC 426W. It then passed to Owen of Oswestry in May 1984 & then to C & G Coaches of Chatteris in April 1986 where it was re-registered OSV 517. It was withdrawn from service in 1988 & sold to dealer, Ensign Bus of Purfleet, who in turn sold it to Tracks of Brookland, New Romney, for further service. In 1994 Carol Day, of C & G Coaches, had a passion to buy back OSV 517 as it was the first Irizar bodied coach she purchased after setting up C & G. OSV 517 was somewhat down a heel owing to rust in the steel stretch panels, (a common problem with Spanish built bodies) these were replaced & the coach repainted in white. OSV 517 has recently had an internal refit to trim & seats. It is now retained as a semi preserved coach & used on school contacts.
Volvo B58-61 Irizar Urko survivors
WDS 283V (UJY 456V) tractor transporter with David Gall Cragforthie Farm, Inverurie. reported as out of use & derelict. (new to Trathen, Yelverton)
OSV 517 (ODC 426W) PSV with C & G Coaches, Chatteris (new to Stockdale Selby)
LAJ 999W PSV Andrews Coaches, Foxton (new to Dales, Middlesbrough) Currently for sale 07793 2845300
SVM 264W (LAJ 998W) stock car transporter owner Rob Cowley, Nuneaton (new to Dales, Middlesbrough)
If anyone knows of any other survivors please let us know.
John Wakefield
October 2006
If you have any information relating to any of the featured vehicles or know of any other vehicles, waiting to be rediscovered & could be featured on this website, please contact us by using one of the methods below
Telephone John Wakefield on 01223 843802
