Timeline
- 1904: Formation of BMMO.
- 1905: First services.
- 1914-1920: Rapid spread of services outside Birmingham to 'Paint the Midlands Red'.
- 1920s: Development of long-distance coach routes using charabancs.
- 1923: First production run of BMMO buses, SOS 'S' type - one of the first British buses to have pneumatic tyres.
- 1927: 'QL' type bus produced, the first Midland Red bus design to have brakes on all wheels.
- 1930s: Development of petrol and diesel engines. Experimental rear-engined buses built.
- 1940s: Experiments with, and production of under-floor engined single-deck buses.
- 1950s: Experiments and developments of integral construction, independent front suspension, air suspension, rubber suspension, glass fibre construction and disc brakes.
- 1958: Introduction of the D9, a new half-cab double deck design incorporating most of the successful features developed in the 1950s.
- 1959: The introduction of the CM5T, a turbocharged coach capable of almost 100 mph, for non-stop motorway services. The Birmingham-London express coach service launched on November 2 - the same day that the M1 motorway was opened. CM5T designation indicated by 'M' high speed (Motorway) capability and by 'T' fitted with passenger toilet facilities.
- 1960: Appearance of the first of the two experimental D10 double-deckers, with under-floor engines.
- 1963: One of the country’s first fully enclosed city centre bus stations was opened at Birmingham’s Bull Ring Shopping Centrre, from which most Midland Red services in the City Centre departed.
- 1960s: Larger motorway coach introduced, the CM6T between 1963-6. Midland Red becomes the first British bus company to make wide-scale use of computers in compiling bus schedules and staff rosters.
- 1970s: Winding down of vehicle production. Last Midland Red built-bus (S23 single-decker no. 5991) produced in 1970. Split up of the operating area - West Midlands PTE take the West Midlands Metropolitan area garages.
- 1980s: Midland Red split into five operating companies and an engineering company. Privatisation by buy-outs.
- 1990s: Take over by the current conglomerate transport groups.
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