The Bristol Superfreighter was designed in 1952 as a development of the Bristol Freighter to meet the requirements of the car ferry services, carrying cars and their passengers across the English Channel. By 1954 there were Silver City Airways services between Southampton-Cherbourg and Lympne-Ostend. In 1963 Silver City was amalgamated with other operators to form British United Air Ferries still using the Superfreighter. Cross Channel car ferry services came to end in the late 1960s when cheaper sea ferry services became more popular.