A rare 1966 bus has made a 1,500-mile journey from Malta to Walsall - here's when you can go and see it

The Aldridge Transport Museum, on Shenstone Drive Northgate, Walsall, has welcomed its newest arrival all the way from Malta.

The bus arrived two weeks ago after being loaned by a private collector, who generously allows the museum to put it on show for bus lovers to enjoy. 

Talking about the arrival, the Chairman of the museum, Martin Fisher, said he is pleased with the new additional.

He said: "It's a fantastic machine. There actually used to be a lot of them in Malta, but the government there decided to modernise by changing the traditional buses with modern ones and they were gotten rid of. 

"But people really did like them. It's sad that most of them were scrapped, there are still a few in Malta and some got sent to the UK for collectors. But I would guess there aren't many running on the roads of Britain these days." 

The AEC Mercury SXS 327 bus was built on a lorry constructed by the Associated Equipment Company (AEC), in Southall, London, before being transported to Malta to be used in the public transport industry. 

Mr Fisher said: "The foundations of the bus were actually built in London and then exported, it was a lorry chassis instead of a bus. 

"It's notorious among those who rode on it, but it definitely feels better loaded with people rather than a tonne of bricks."

The bus features a unique American style look that Mr Fisher says 'wouldn't have been out of place in the 60s'.

He added: "It's quite American really. It has wings that look really American, it also reminds me of the Ford Classic.

"It's a great addition to the museum and we hope people will enjoy it as much as we do."

The museum is hosting an open day on June 22, where people will be able to see and step inside the new (but old) vehicle. 

For more information on open days and visiting times, visit the Aldridge Transport Museum website.