Model catalogue
AEC Routemaster for film & TV hire
Updated
There are 2 listings in the AEC Routemaster selection, dating from 1959 to 1966; start with the scene’s date when choosing which vehicles to look at more closely. This selection has its largest decade totals in 1950s and 1960s; those pages help you compare vehicles across makes when the date is your starting point. The most common categories in this selection are Bus / Coach and Classic, offering another route into the vehicles when a model name is not yet part of the brief. You will find red among the leading colours, useful for a first comparison with wardrobe, location and any other vehicles sharing the shot.
Few vehicles carry a city in their silhouette the way the Routemaster carries London. Designed for London Transport and built by AEC with Park Royal bodywork, it entered service in the 1950s and remained a fixture of the capital's streets for decades, with its open rear platform, conductor and curved red front becoming part of the city's identity.
That long working life gives the Routemaster unusual range on screen. It suits stories from the late 1950s right through to the early 2000s, and it remains a shorthand for London in commercials, fashion shoots and music videos aimed at audiences around the world. Inside, the lower saloon, staircase and top deck make an atmospheric set in their own right.
A bus is a bigger undertaking than a car. Access, parking, licensed drivers and permissions all need early planning, and owners will help check routes and locations. CarSeen lists privately owned Routemasters from different years, each with its own livery and history.
Related: AEC vehicles, buses and coaches, Routemaster bus hire for filming, picture car hire in London.
AEC Routemaster hire questions
- Can I hire a Routemaster for a film or commercial?
- Yes. Preserved Routemasters are privately owned and can be booked for filming, subject to dates, access and the details of the job.
- Which periods does a Routemaster suit?
- Broadly London stories from the late 1950s to the early 2000s, with livery and adverts checked against period photographs.
- Who drives the bus?
- Usually the owner or a nominated driver holding the appropriate licence.
- Can we film on the top deck?
- Often yes, by agreement with the owner on how many cast and crew are aboard.
- How early should I book?
- As early as possible, as access checks, drivers and permissions take time and summer is a busy season.
Looking further afield? Browse all picture car hire options or see picture cars for film.