Saturday 8 March 1986 – In July 1985 the Yelloway business which had been managed by the Allen family for more than 50 years was sold to a new owner. Changes ensued which might have portrayed an air of an optimistic future that sadly was not going to be.

Amongst the main changes was the decision to hand over the long distance coach services to National Express for which Yelloway then became a contracted operator. Vehicles would wear National Express livery resulting in the famous Yelloway colours and name no longer being seen countrywide.

The new owner was a coach trader and the U.K. dealership for the German manufacturer of Neoplan coaches and vehicles of that make were assigned to Yelloway as were other makes of vehicle taken from their trade stock some of these having already been well used by previous operators.

SPY 372X was a Plaxton Supreme bodied Leyland Leopard that was new to Martindale Coaches of Ferryhill, County Durham in March 1982 and was one of the many secondhand vehicles that came to replace the newer higher value Leyland Tigers bought before the company changed ownership. It was seen parked in Milton Street, Rochdale. The damaged corner of the corrugated roof over the fuel bay and 1960s built workshop can be seen beyond.