Stock car transporter 900 YXN (A904 JEF) at Mildenhall Stadium - 6 Apr 2019 (P1000853)

Saturday 6 April 2019 (1342) – 900 YXN is a Van Hool Astral bodied Volvo B10M new to Ellerby’s Coaches of Tow Law in May 1984 registered A904 JEF. Now a Stock Car transporter for Paul Prest from North Yorkshire it was seen arriving at the Mildenhall Speedway Ground, West Row Fen, Suffolk.

The early 1980s saw a fad to include a lower deck lounge at the rear of certain models. Plaxton had their Paramount 4000RS, Jonckheere their Jubilee P90 and Van Hool their Astral. This Astral was new with 48 seats on the main (upper) deck and 7 seats in the lounge (lower) deck area. A batch of similar style coaches for Park’s of Hamilton delivered a few months earlier had seating for 49 plus 11. In its current role as a transporter the stock car can just be seen through what had been the lounge area windows. The lower half of the rear panel is hinged and lifts up to load and unload the car.