Here’s a bus story with a difference on Truck & Bus – your chance to add a Paul McCartney-owned bus to your collection!
Car & Classic auction in the UK is offering the restored 1972 Wings tour bus, famously utilised by Sir Paul and Linda McCartney during the Wings Over Europe Tour in the summer of 1972, at auction next week.
Originally chosen as the tour bus for the band Sir Paul McCartney and Wings, also known as Wings, for their 1972 summer tour, the double-decker bus quickly gained worldwide fame and became the epicenter of an extraordinary family and band adventure.
As Sir Paul and Linda McCartney, along with the rest of the Wings band, traversed over 7,500 miles across nine countries and 25 cities, the summer of 1972 became a pivotal moment for the band.
The tour garnered the attention of the world’s media and marked the rise of Wings after the glory days of The Beatles.
The bus wasn’t merely a space for rest and transportation and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that numerous hit songs were potentially written within, including the iconic Bond theme “Live and Let Die” recorded later that same year (1972).
Now a symbol of both rock and road, with its psychedelic colour scheme mirroring The Beatles’ 1960s Yellow Submarine album cover, the bus still retains features from its heyday, upholding its originality and offering a glimpse into the era of ‘swinging Sixties’.
Head of editorial at Car & Classic, Dale Vinten, says this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“Just as [John] Lennon’s Rolls-Royce and the notable cars of other [The] Beatles members carry the weight of history, tour buses tell a different story, and bear witness to the behind-the-scenes magic that fuels the onstage brilliance.
“This essence is perfectly encapsulated in the Wings tour bus, still adorned in its psychedelic colours, and restored to how it would’ve been when the McCartneys and the rest of the band toured Europe over the summer of ’72.”
How much will it go for? Car & Classic estimates it will sell for between £150,000 – £200,000 ($290,000 – $385,000 AUD).
