The forward control Leyland Titan PD2 featured a front mounted engine designed to carry double-decker bus bodywork. Their production dated from 1927-1942 and resumed after World War II from 1945-1969. Because of their size, the PD2s were originally classed as the non-London 26 footer version, considered unsuitable for use in the capital.
In 1950 some revisions to the construction and use regulations meant that the 8 foot wide vehicles no longer required special permission to operate in central London and the maximum length for double deckers was increased to 27 feet. As a result, Leyland raised a new set of variant codes for the Titans, namely from PD2/10 to PD2/13, these having a wheelbase of 16’ 5”. The standard Leyland body was also revised. Within this range of new codes was the PD2/12 which was 8’ wide with vacuum brakes. Known as the ‘Farington’ style, the chassis and bodywork were both by Leyland.