Paul McCartney’s Wings Tour Bus Set For Auction
Following a thorough restoration, Paul McCartney’s 1972 Wings tour bus will be put up for sale the following month. Below are pictures of the rock ‘n’ roll caravan.
This vintage Wings bus will be available for bidding from November 16 to 18, as part of Julien’s Auctions‘ 20th-anniversary event titled Played, Worn & Torn: Rock ‘n’ Roll Iconic Guitars and Memorabilia. It’s among over 1,000 collectibles, including Eric Clapton’s The Fool guitar, Kurt Cobain’s Sky Stang I guitar, and various items from music legends like Elvis Presley, Prince, the Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Eddie Van Halen, among others.
About the Psychedelic Tour Bus
Known as WNO 481, Paul and Linda McCartney acquired this 1953 Bristol KSW double-decker bus in 1972. Along with their bandmates Denny Laine, Henry McCullough, and Denny Seiwell, they used it as their primary tour bus during the Wings Over Europe tour, marking their first full-scale tour after a university tour earlier in the same year.
The WNO 481 bus featured vibrant and psychedelic artwork created by Geoffrey Cleghorn, who had previously worked with famous bands like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and the Who. Cleghorn’s design was inspired by the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine album cover. The bus was also thoughtfully equipped with a children’s play area on the open-top deck, with mattresses, beanbags, and blankets to cater to the band members’ wives and children.
In 1972, Wings had a significant challenge ahead as Paul McCartney was still living in the shadow of the recently disbanded Beatles. However, they managed to overcome this with their second album, Red Rose Speedway, released in 1973, which not only topped the Billboard 200 but also set the stage for their multiplatinum success with the album Band on the Run.
With 27 U.S. number ones, Wings eventually became the bestselling pop act of the 1970s: five straight No. 1 albums and Top 40 hits.
