page_title: Western National
section_title: Privatisation
hierarchical_section_title: Western National / Privatisation
caption_attribution_description: Leyland National
context_page_description: Western National was a bus company operating in South West England from 1929 until the 1990s.
context_section_description: In the lead up to deregulation, in January 1983 Western National was divided into four companies:
  Devon General Limited in the old Devon General area in south and east Devon
  North Devon Limited trading as Red Bus in North Devon
  Southern National Limited in Somerset and Dorset
  Western National Limited in Cornwall and Plymouth
  On 19 August 1986, Devon General became the first National Bus Company subsidiary to be privatised under the Transport Act 1985 being sold in a management buyout led by managing director Harry Blundred. In 1996 it was sold to Stagecoach and in 2003 rebranded Stagecoach Devon.
  On 7 August 1987 Western National, was sold to Plympton Coachlines with Badgerline having an initial 39% shareholding, which was increased to 66% in August 1988. Western National was included in the June 1995 merger of Badgerline with GRT Group to form FirstBus.
  North Devon and Southern National were jointly sold to their management on 29 March 1988. On 4 April 1999, both were sold to FirstGroup. First split Southern National into two, the Dorset operations became part of First Hampshire & Dorset, and the Somerset operations part of First Somerset & Avon. The North Devon operations were combined with those of First Western National to form First Devon & Cornwall.
caption: Preserved Leyland National-Ex Western National 2813 Now in preservation with Steve Kirk of Flitwick in Bedfordshire
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