You could get behind the wheel of Thatcher’s bullet-proof battle bus

As the general election gets underway, the main party leaders will be spending an increasing amount of time on their battle buses — modern, high-specification coaches with room for the media pack as well as senior politicians and their spin doctors.

Back in the 1980s, of course, things were a little more basic, as these shots of Margaret Thatcher’s armoured battle bus — thought to have been used when she visited Northern Ireland — show.

Margaret Thatcher battle bus

An armoured campaign bus, thought to have been used by Margaret Thatcher when she visited Northern Ireland in the early 1980s.

This armoured, 18-tonne Foden-based bus is now up for sale, courtesy of military vehicle dealer Nick Mead, who says that the beast has now outstayed his welcome and needs a new home.

The bus was built by military vehicle specialist Glover Webb and is based on Foden running gear. It is powered by a 12-litre, supercharged V12 Rolls Royce diesel engine that can propel the coach to a top speed of 80mph.

The cockpit: high tech it ain't

The cockpit: high tech it ain’t

The windows are made of two-inch thick, bullet-proof glass, while the two-foot thick, honeycomb macrolite floor is capable of withstanding a landmine blast.

Inside the Thatcher battle bus

With seating for 36 people and space at the rear for an office desk, the coach even had its own auxiliary, roof-mounted motor that could pump clean, carbonised air to the sealed cabin in the event of a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon being deployed.

With just 22,000km on the clock, the bus was used to ferry passengers on the dangerous Derry Airport – Belfast route during the 1980s. It was also previously owned by the Met Police, used as transport for the Royal Marines band and as a viewing platform at an MoD research facility.

The asking price for the bus is £25,000. Mr Mead plans to list it on eBay US and believes the bus might end up in America, but hopes it will stay in the UK.

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