NEU-ANSPACH, Germany – Goodbye London, hello Frankfurt! A legendary piece of music history is back and is making its last stop for the time being in Neu-Anspach near Frankfurt. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Adam Hall Group, the restored tour bus of Paul McCartney and his band Wings has been presented to the public for the first time on the company’s campus. The psychedelically painted double-decker bus in which the band toured Europe in 1972 will in future be on display as part of the company’s own Rock ‘n’ Roll Library in the Experience Centre at the Adam Hall Group’s German headquarters – and is symbolic of the company’s anniversary claim, namely: “Honoring the past, driving the future.”
The tour bus – a Bristol KSW5G, built in 1953 – was specially converted in 1972 for the European tour of Paul McCartney’s new band Wings. Instead of travelling by plane as usual, McCartney opted for a double-decker bus designed by artist Geoffrey Cleghorn in psychedelic colors inspired by the Beatles’ album Yellow Submarine. “The Wings tour bus was ahead of its time,” says Alexander Pietschmann, CEO of the Adam Hall Group. “It stood for a new way of living and travelling on tour – human, communal, respectful. It is therefore also food for thought when it comes to the future and a symbol of how music, mindset and freedom can work together.”
The legendary vehicle was discovered by British restorer Tom Jennings on Tenerife. He brought the bus, which has its very own fan base, back to the UK and invested over 26,000 hours in faithfully restoring it. All the details are documented at www.1972wingstourbus.com.
“I’ve been a Beatles and McCartney fan since I was eleven years old – that was in 1962,” says Jennings. “When I saw the 2019 bus in its dilapidated state, I was immediately captivated by its magic. I really wanted to restore it to the condition that once made it the ‘Most Famous Bus In The World’.”
The unique historic vehicle was discovered and purchased at auction by founder and classic car enthusiast David Kirby. The bus, which travelled through nine countries during the Wings Over Europe tour, has a close link to the company’s DNA – because it was more than just a means of transport. It was an expression of a new mindset: instead of travelling in planes and limousines, McCartney travelled through Europe with his band, family and friends in 1972. A home on wheels, a creative retreat and a symbol of a time when music, community and freedom were inextricably linked. This makes the Wings bus the forefather of the modern band tour bus – and one of the last authentic artifacts of this era.
“For me, the Wings bus is a symbol of new beginnings – just like the founding of our company in 1975,” comments Dave Kirby, who built up the Adam Hall Group in Germany. In future, the bus will not only serve as an exhibit in the company’s own Rock‘n’Roll Library, but also as an inspiring creative space for employees, visitors and cultural music projects.
The ceremonial presentation of the vehicle was part of the Adam Hall Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations on 4 July 2025 in Neu-Anspach – a day on which the past and the future will come together. It remains to be seen where the bus will end up. Nevertheless, the specially built “Adam Hall Street” stop, directly in front of the Experience Centre and inspired by the London original, is already an inviting place for visitors to arrive, one that combines music and technology, as well as the past and the future.
More info at: 1972wingstourbus.com and www.adamhall.com
