The Lodekka bus was designed in 1949 as a low bridge double-decker bus capable of passing under bridges as low as 4.117m. Most low bridge buses had an offset well in the upper floor and banks of three or four seats to one side only; a long stretch for the conductor collecting fares and passengers leaving the window seats. The Bristol design overcame this problem by offsetting the drive shaft from the engine to the rear axle so that the lower deck floor could be installed closer to the ground than usual. Over the next 19 years, the design was further improved, culminating in the FLF - 'Flat flor, Long body, Front entrance' that was a familiar sight in Bristol and all over the country. Some 5200 Lodekkas of various types were built but production of the type ceased in 1968 when there was a move towards using rear-engined, one-man crew designs.

This bus is an example of the FLF6B type. It is powered by a Bristol BVW oil engine, although many others used Gardner engines. The bodywork on all Lodekkas was carried out by Eastern Coachworks of Lowestoft, and in this form could carry 73 passengers. It was operated on routes all over Bristol by the Bristol Omnibus Company until it was withdrawn in 1983.

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