Corgi 1/76 OM42415B Plaxton Panorama, Wallace Arnold, Scottish Highlands dual destination
In 1912 Robert Barr bought his first vehicle, a Karrier, which he ran as a lorry during the week and with a change of body, to a charabanc for country trips from Leeds at weekends. His business grew slowly and growth was halted completely by the outbreak of war in 1914. In 1920 he ran his first charabanc trip to London, which must have been something of a marathon considering the 12mph speed limit and the use of solid tyres. In 1926 Robert Barr bought the Leeds charabanc operator partnership of Wallace Cunningham and Arnold Crowe which then gave the Company its unusual and unforgettable title.
In 1940 Wallace Arnold operated front engined Leyland Tigers and by the late sixties the Company had standardised on underfloor engined Leyland Leopard chassis with Plaxton bodies for its own holiday tours programme. In 1968 a new livery of two tone grey with orange trim was introduced, replacing the traditional pale cream with red wheels and flashes, except for the Devon fleet which remained pale cream all over. In 2005, following many years of speculation, Wallace Arnold was merged with Shearings Holidays, its main competitor which was under common ownership.