The 2010 Commercial Truck & Bus Rally will be centered on raising funds for the restoration of

                     a 1946 AEC Regal 1 Coach found and kindly given by Mr. Reno Abela of Supreme Travel. 

                     Recovered from a quarry in 1998 the chassis cab without a coach body then sat for more than

                     10 years in a field adjacent to Supreme Travel's garage at Zejtun.  Research has shown that it

                     was originally supplied to Wallace Arnold Tours of Leeds in the United Kingdom with a Duple

                     In 2008 it was recovered from Zejtun and transferred to Zinnu Bus & Coach Works for a lengthy

                     rebuild calling for the complete restoration of the engine and chassis with the intention of replicating

                     the Duple body. The initial work of a finite teardown and inspection of the engine components

                     was completed and it was fired up with the slightest puff of blue smoke proving as someone once

                     said of the AEC 7.7 Litre diesel - it is bombproof.  The chassis was subsequently stripped of all

                     components ready for shot blasting and painting.  Meantime, news of the recovery reached the

                     UK where an amazing and generous development occurred.  Mr. Terry Partridge had purchased

                     an old Bristol coach complete with an aging and deteriorating Duple A Body solely for the purpose

                     of acquiring the Bristol chassis and kindly donated the body to the Regal. The Duple body is

                     ostensibly the same as the one required but a 30 feet long model against the 27 feet 6 ins model we

                     required.  However, closer examination indicated that it was only an additional centre panel that

                     made the difference. However, it remains incredibly fragile and therefore it is estimated that only

                     maybe 40% of the components are re-useable but the rest will provide important templates for the

                     reconstruction of the remainder.  Ultimately, it will be completed in its original UK livery when

                     with Wallace Arnold and the level reached in this long restoration will be available for all to see

                     As you will see in the recently placed images, Joseph Grech of Albion Garage, Mqabba kindly donated

                     40 seats for the Regal.  A couple were damaged by rodents but fortunately the seats were stored off

                     the floor on the back of an old wartime Dodge T110L  which was owned by his grandfather and

                     hopefully restored one day . The good news is that we only require 33 and naturally they will be

                     re-trimmed in due course. Not quite the period of the Regal but needs must and they should prove

                     suitable when finished particularly with the ash trays in the back of the seats.

                     In preparation for the rally the chassis was brought out again and received a some anti rust attention

                     in the odd place plus a eye catching re-spray in silver.  This was more about continued rust prevention

                     than final finishing as more work is still required. Matching wheels were shot blasted with repainted in

                     primer and six new tyres added as were the restored AEC front hubs. It was our intention to start her

                     again at the Rally but a test the previous day proved rather frustrating.  First off the starter jammed but

                     after freeing up a fault was identified in the diesel pump. Not serious but a sufficient problem to keep her

                     silent until repairs can be made. Looked superb on the low loader but as I say a lot more work to do not

                     helped by the reduced crowd levels due to the weather and therefore much reduced donations for the

                     rebuild. The images shown were taken the day before the show whilst still in the yards of Zinnu Bus &

                     Coach Works. Now let us see what improvements we can make in time for next years rally.

                     Sincere thanks go to Andrew Dolan for the donation and bringing in of an Electrical Control Box for the

                     Regal cab and a very kind gentlemen from Fgura who is donating a new water pump for the 7.7 along

                    with some gaskets.  All very much appreciated.