It was conceived by London & Country, which at the time was part of the Drawlane Group, which owned East Lancs.

The engineering work was carried out by London & Country at Reigate, then the buses were sent to Blackburn for the replacement bodywork.

Since the Leyland National had an advanced integral structure which generally remained sound, it was decided that rebuilding was a cost-effective option for them.

However, many operators chose to apply "cherished" registrations (mostly Northern Irish), being reluctant to make it too obvious that what might appear to be a brand new bus, could in fact be anything from nine to 21 years old.

The first had two-piece flat windscreens which met at a slight point in the centre, EL2000-style headlights with separate indicators above, and a shallow, plain bumper.

The alternative style, used on the London vehicles, had a rear window at approximately the same height as the original, and a space in the bumper for registration plates.