BBC/Toffee International Ltd/Tom JacksonA “tidy” piece of TV memorabilia has just gone up for sale which should get lovers of Gavin and Stacey revving their engines.
The actual Dave’s Coaches bus from the hit BBC sitcom is now available to buy online for the sum of £200,000.
Driven by Steffan Rhodri’s character in the series, the red 33-seater certainly seems to have done it fair share of trips between Barry and Essex over the years, having clocked up a whopping 279,361 miles (449,587.9 km) in total.
Appearing on the Autotrader website, it has been described as “a once-in-a-lifetime collectable for fans of the show”.
BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom JacksonOn the road since 1990, the vehicle – a Mercedes-Benz Vario 814D – has had eight owners so far.
According to its seller, who is based in north London, the “instantly recognisable” bus “remains in good condition”, is “finished in a sleek red” colour and comes with the “legendary, original Dave’s Coaches design” on its front and sides.
It was last seen on screen playing a key role in the show’s long-awaited finale which aired last Christmas, in which James Corden’s Smithy is finally reunited with Nessa, played by Ruth Jones.
Most recently, it has also been used to ferry fans around Barry Island as part of the official Gavin and Stacy sightseeing tours, which last three-and-a-half hours.
BBC/Toffee International Ltd./Tom JacksonLast Christmas Day’s finale was watched by 12.3 million people on BBC One.
This makes it the biggest non-sports overnight of 2024, with Wallace and Gromit second at 9.38 million.
The last Gavin and Stacey Christmas special was watched live by 11.6 million. That figure grew to 18.4 million over the following 28 days with people catching up on iPlayer.
