Routemaster

The Routemaster was a bus specifically designed for London traffic. It went into production in the 1950s, and was decommissioned by Transport for London in 2005.

An important aspect of the design is the open access through a platform at the rear end of the bus. This enabled sharp-witted and able-bodied passengers to hop on and off almost as they pleased (paying a conductor who moved around the bus, rather than the driver), contributing to the sense of risk-taking and personal freedom that was so important in the "feel" of the period. It was to enable young women to hop on and off such buses unimpeded that Mary Quant designed the miniskirt. It was in part to prevent such "risk-taking" behaviour that the design was discontinued.

The design features on the Icons of England website and the 2009 British Design Classics stamp issue.

The Mini

The Arab oil embargo at the time of the Suez Crisis had stimulated demand for small cars that were economical to run, such as the Citroën 2CV and the Volkswagen Beetle. British manufacturers had not previously considered the market for cars with low fuel consumption, so were in a hurry to build something to compete.

The most successful design for a low cost car was the mini, designed by Alec Issigonis and produced by the British Motor Corporation. Like the miniskirt, pop music, and buses that passengers could hop in and out of at will, the mini became an icon of the new, young, stylish Britain. In 2009 it was one of the "British Design Classics" celebrated on a special stamp issue.

Foreign manufacturers could not understand how Morris was making the Mini so cheaply, but in fact poor costing meant that the mini was initially being sold at a loss. This is bleak testimony to the general inefficiency of postwar British industry.