AEC built the iconic Routemaster bus, working with Park Royal Vehicles on the bodywork and final assembly. AEC—short for the Associated Equipment Company—provided the mechanical components and was part of the same wider corporate group as Park Royal Vehicles.
Designed for London Transport, the Routemaster emerged from a postwar effort to create a lighter, more efficient and easier-to-maintain double-decker. Its aluminium construction drew on aircraft-production techniques, while features such as independent front suspension, power steering, automatic transmission and hydraulic braking were advanced for a city bus of the 1950s.
The first prototype was completed in 1954, and Routemasters entered London service in February 1956. Production ran until 1968, with 2,876 examples built. Leyland supplied engines for some versions, which helps explain why Leyland is sometimes mistakenly credited as the manufacturer; the bus itself was the AEC Routemaster, with Park Royal responsible for its bodies.