Devon General
| Company type | Private (formerly) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transport |
| Predecessor | Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Fate | Merged with Western National in 1971; privatised in 1986; acquired by Stagecoach Group in 1996; rebranded as Stagecoach Devon in 2003 |
| Headquarters | Exeter and Torquay , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | South Devon, England |
Key people | Harry Blundred (managing director at privatisation) |
| Products | Bus and coach services |
Number of employees | Over 200 minibuses by 1986 (fleet size indication) |
| Parent | British Electric Traction (1931–1969), National Bus Company (1969–1986), Transit Holdings (1986–1996), Stagecoach Group (1996–2003) |
Devon General served as the leading bus operator throughout south Devon starting from 1919. The company name originated with the Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company, which was established in 1919. In 1922, it was purchased by the National Electric Construction Company, later incorporated into British Electric Traction (BET) in 1931. Following nationalisation in 1969, it merged with Western National in 1971. A new entity named Devon General Limited was created in 1983 and became the first operating subsidiary of the National Bus Company to undergo privatisation in 1986, marking the beginning of Transit Holdings. In 1996, it was acquired by the Stagecoach Group and subsequently rebranded as Stagecoach Devon in 2003.
Coach services were offered under several brand names, notably Fleet Cars (1925–1933) and Grey Cars (1932–1971).
Main depots were situated in Exeter and Torquay, covering most areas of south, east, and mid Devon.
History
Operations under the Devon General Omnibus and Touring Company commenced in south Devon in 1919 with two routes connecting Exeter to Torquay. In 1922, the company was acquired by Torquay Tramways for £36,000 and functioned as a subsidiary of the National Electric Construction Company (NECC), incorporating motor buses previously operated by the tramway firm. Charabanc tours continued under the Devon General banner. The independent local operator Fleet Cars was purchased in 1925 but initially operated separately; several other smaller operators were also absorbed and consolidated into Fleet Cars.
In 1931, NECC merged into BET. The Torquay tram system ceased operations in January 1934, with its company sold to Devon General, which expanded its fleet by acquiring 24 buses to service former tram routes.
Devon General declined to purchase the local coach operator Grey Cars in 1930; instead, Grey Cars was acquired by A Timpson & Sons of Catford in 1931. Timpsons sold Grey Cars to Devon General in 1932, and by 1933 both Grey Cars and Fleet Cars had been integrated into Devon General. Most coaches continued operating under the Grey Cars name, while some smaller absorbed operators maintained their original names for a short period.
National Bus Company
When BET's bus operations merged into the newly established National Bus Company (NBC) on 1 January 1969, Devon General was included. Since 1947, Devon General had worked closely with Exeter Corporation's bus services. In April 1970, Exeter Corporation's buses and routes were transferred to NBC and merged into Devon General, preserving the city's unique route letter system.
In January 1971, NBC reassigned Devon General’s bus operations to neighbouring Western National, although the Devon General brand name was retained. The Grey Cars coaching division was relocated to Greenslades based in Exeter. On 1 January 1983, NBC divided Western National into four companies; one of these was Devon General Limited, continuing its operations across south and east Devon as before. The Tiverton area became part of a newly formed North Devon operation.
Transit Holdings
Devon General became the first NBC subsidiary to be privatised under the provisions of the Transport Act 1985 on 19 August 1986 through a management buyout led by managing director Harry Blundred.
An innovative high-frequency minibus service launched in Exeter on 27 February 1984. By the time of privatisation in 1986, minibuses accounted for over half of the fleet with more than 200 vehicles. By late 1990, all scheduled routes were operated using minibuses seating between 16 and 24 passengers.
The new ownership established Transit Holdings to manage several additional bus companies primarily across southern England:
- Bayline (Torquay)
- Devon General (Exeter)
- Docklands Transit (London)
- Portsmouth Transit (Portsmouth)
- Thames Transit (Oxford)
- Transit Australia
Bayline was launched in 1992 serving Torbay and Newton Abbot areas, while Devon General continued operations centered on Exeter. Both companies were sold to the Stagecoach Group in 1996 and rebranded collectively as Stagecoach Devon in 2003.
Area of operation
Devon General quickly extended its services beyond the original routes connecting Exeter, Newton Abbot, and Torquay. The company expanded by acquiring multiple smaller operators (refer below), while operational limits were determined through area agreements with neighboring larger firms. These boundaries changed over time but were mainly defined by two significant accords:
- In 1922, an eastern limit was set with the National Omnibus and Transport Company along the corridor from Minehead through Tiverton, Cullompton, and Honiton to Sidmouth.
- A northern border was established in 1924 with Hardy Central Garage covering the route between Okehampton, Bampton, and Wellington.
- By 1929, the western edge was fixed at Kingswear, Totnes, Buckfastleigh, and Okehampton, with control beyond this held by Western National.
Offices and depots
Since most directors of Devon General were based in London, the company’s initial offices were located on Kilmore Road, Forest Hill, London. The earliest buses operated out of Exeter Garage Company's premises on Paris Street, Exeter. In 1921, offices shifted to a newly built garage on Blackboy Road in Exeter; however, after NECC took over in 1922, the headquarters moved back to Queen Street, London.
Following NECC’s integration into BET in 1932, the Queen Street office was closed in favor of BET’s central office on Kingsway in London. Around this period, construction commenced on a large garage and central workshop facility at Newton Road, Torquay. BET relocated its headquarters to Piccadilly in 1952; by 1956, Devon General’s registered office had transferred to 87 Newton Road, Torquay.
When Devon General merged into Western National in 1971, administrative functions moved to Western National’s Queen Street offices in Exeter. The independent Devon General Limited formed in 1983 stayed in Exeter but relocated to Belgrave Road offices next to a new bus depot opened in 1975.
Buses were housed at garages or yards situated at key points including:
- Ashburton
- Dropping Wells (1925–1927)
- West Street (Blue Saloon Motor Services) (1927–1928)
- Brixham
- New Road (1935–1939)
- Mount Pleasant Road (1940–1957)
- Bus Station (1957–1992)
- Crediton
- Mill Street (1931–1954)
- Exeter
- Gold's Garage, Heavitree Road (1919–1921)
- Blackboy Road (1921–1971)
- Heavitree Road (Exeter Corporation) (1970–1975)
- Belgrave Road (1975–1996)
- Exmouth
- New Street (1921–1931)
- Imperial Road (1931–1996)
- Moretonhampstead
- Station Road (June – September 1924)
- Steven's Garage, Chagford (1924–c.1928)
- Court Street (1928–1971; relocated on site in 1931)
- Newton Abbot
- Bradley Hotel (1919–1921)
- Newton Road, Kingsteignton (1921–1960)
- Kingsteignton Road (1960–1992)
- Paignton
- Roundham Road (1923–1925)
- Churston (1925–1930)
- Orient Road, Preston (1924–1932)
- Bus Station (1988–1996; opened 1954)
- Sidmouth
- Mill Street (1922–?)
- Station Road, Newton Poppleford (?–1930)
- Woolbrook (1930–1996)
- Tiverton
- Chapel Street (Croscols) (1924–1938)
- Old Road (1938–1971; post-1971 buses stored at bus station)
- Torquay
- Westhill Avenue (Torquay Tramways) (1922–1931)
- Newton Road (1931–1988)
- Torwood Street (Grey Cars) (1933–1940; 1946–1971)
- Belgrave Road (Court Garages) (1940–1946; 1966–1973)
- Regents Close (1992–1996)
Occasionally, vehicles were also stationed in other towns such as Axminster (1922–1984), Budleigh Salterton (1930–1939; 1988–1989), Crockernwell (1942–1957), Cullompton (1922–1996), East Budleigh (1921–1931), Kenton (1942–1947), and Okehampton (1923–1997), among others.
Livery
Originally, the buses displayed a color scheme of red and cream, whereas coaches were painted grey with dark red highlights; open-top buses introduced in 1955 featured a cream and red color pattern. In 1972, the National Bus Company implemented a uniform poppy red livery complemented by white detailing. Beginning in 1979, Devon General adopted a leaf green and white design, aligning with its parent company Western National’s palette. Following its independence in 1983, the company reverted to a red livery. Early minibuses were distinguished by bright red and yellow colors with black lower panels. Upon privatisation in 1986, the livery changed to an ivory base accented by a red skirt and red lower window surrounds.
Amalgamated companies
Devon General grew by acquiring competing operators, integrating their vehicles and services into its network:
| Year | Operator(s) | Location | Number of Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | Torquay Tramways | Torquay | 36 |
| 1924 | Croscols Limited | Tiverton | 6 |
| 1925 | Fleet Cars | — | 5 |
| 1925 | Comfy Cars | Paignton | 4 |
| 1926 | Whitton | Cullompton | 1 |
| 1927 | Torquay–Chelston Car Company | Torquay | 2 |
| 1927 | Blue Saloon | Ashburton | 11 |
| 1928 | White Heather | Paignton | 2 |
| 1929 | Great Western Railway (road motor services) | Torquay to Paignton route | 2 |
| 1933 | Grey Cars | Torquay | 42 |
| 1936 | Teignmouth Motor Car Company | Teignmouth | 3 |
| 1936 | H.J. Lee | Ottery St Mary | 0 |
| 1937 | G. & W. Harris | Ipplepen | 0 |
| 1940 | W.J. Abbott | Exmouth | 0 |
| 1948 | Witheridge Transport (Greenslade Brothers) | Witheridge | 1 |
| 1952 | W.A. Hart | Budleigh Salterton | 5 |
| 1952 | Balls Bus Service | Newton Abbot | 1 |
| 1954 | A.E. Townsend | Torquay | 8 |
| 1954 | Balls Tours | Newton Abbot | 5 |
| 1955 | H.D. Gourd and Son | Bishopsteignton | 1 |
| 1957 | Falkland Coaches | Torquay | 4 |
| 1966 | Court Garages | Torquay | 5 |
| 1970 | Exeter City Transport | Exeter | 65 |
Torquay–Chelston Car Company
Devon General acquired the Torquay–Chelston Car Company in 1927; this firm had its origins in a Chelmsford steam bus demonstration in Torquay dating back to 1903. Established as Torquay & District Motor Omnibus Co Ltd on July 23, 1903, it began operating a route from the Strand to Chelston in November of that year. The initial vehicles accommodated twelve seated passengers with two additional seats beside the driver, carrying nearly three thousand passengers during the first week of service. By Easter of 1905, eight steam buses were running between St Marychurch and Babbacombe but were sold off after tram services commenced in April 1907. The bus garage was then managed by Torquay Road Car until the company was liquidated in December 1908.
On March 28, 1911, the Torquay-Chelston Steam Car Company Ltd was formed with three Chelmsford steam buses; it later removed 'Steam' from its name when a single-deck RAF-type Leyland replaced the steam fleet after Devon General launched a competing route between Meadfoot Beach and Chelston in March 1923. In 1925, the company added a Leyland PLSC Lion bus to its fleet. Devon General began operating parallel services on Chelston routes in 1926 and purchased the company in the following year, incorporating Leyland vehicles numbered as fleet units 98 and 99. Route schedules were updated in July 1929 to include services such as route 32 (Torquay to Paignton via Preston), route 33 (Strand-Chelston circular), and route 35 (Shiphay Turn to Meadfoot Beach).
Over time, Devon General deployed various bus models on Chelston routes including Leyland Lions; Dennis Lancet IIs introduced from 1938; AEC Regals beginning in 1939; Leyland Royal Tigers arriving in 1954; AEC Reliances from 1957; Regent IIIs starting in 1960; and Leyland Atlanteans introduced from 1964 onward.