24810 - Mercedes 709 large blind	THE REAL BUSES The minibus was seen as the revolutionary way to deal with the de-regulation of services and the privatization of the National bus Company, Passenger Transport Executives and many municipal operators in the mid 1980's. Various minibus designs were produced and all were originally based on conversions of commercial light vans such as the Ford Transit, Mercedes Benz and Dodge (later re-branded Renault). Minibuses offered a cheap way to try out new services, and after de-regulation a cost effective way to counter the new competition in the industry. Many operators such as Thames Transit, Badgerline, and Devon General built up large fleets, numbering hundreds of such vehicles. The Mercedes Benz 709 was one of the more popular types, with Reeve Burgess developing the Beaver conversion for this and also the Renault / Dodge S56 chassis. The parent Plaxton named replaced Reeve Burgess in the early 1990's. The minibus revolution however lasted less than 10 years, the vehicles proved to have a short life span and operators soon found that passengers preferred better designed vehicles which offered extra comfort and easier access. The development of custom built vehicles like the MCW Metrorider, and the Dennis Dart allowed operators to opt for more robust and larger capacity vehicles. By the turn of the millennium the small minibus was becoming a rare sight in the fleets of UK bus operators. THE EFE MODELS Both versions of the Mercedes Benz 709 first made an appearance in 1998, with the Renault S56 following in 1999. The small destination versions are some of the rarest releases, to date only four have appeared, both based on the Mercedes casting.
24902DR - Mercedes 709 small blind
25902DR - Renault S56 large blind