Duple Coachbuilders

Duple was best known as a British manufacturer of coach and bus bodywork from 1919 until 1989. Duple Bodies & Motors Ltd was formed in 1919 by Herbert White in Hornsey, London. Before World War 1 he had briefly built cars under the Bifort name in Fareham, Hampshire. The name 'Duple' is intended to convey the principle of a single vehicle being suitable for a dual role, an idea Mr. White developed. The first vehicle of this type was called the Bifort. Subsequently, former military Ford Model Ts were fitted with the newly designed dual-purpose bodywork. The bodies looked like a small touring car, but could be transformed into a van by removing the decking at the rear of the car and fitting a van top. This type of vehicle had enormous...