The bus - to cater for the ever-increasing number of passengers, CMB ordered, in 1963, ten Guy Arab V single-deck buses, featuring only 29 seats, but with a standing capacity of 50!  The first standee bus?

They were 35ft 9in in length, having a 22ft wheelbase and rear overhang of over 10ft. This long low appearance gave them the nickname "The Long Dragons".    Their introduction was delayed owing to the Government having concerns over their size and manoeuvrability, and their initial refusal to grant a licence for the prototype, however, undeterred, CMB ordered a further ten such vehicles!

The first batch of ten were delivered between July and September 1965, whilst AC 4788 was one of the second batch, delivered between March and June 1966. A further twenty vehicles were delivered between December 1966 and September 1967, making a total of forty vehicles.

Owing to structural problems, CMB later carried out modifications, which included adding new body strengthening pillars just behind the front axle and behind the central doorway.

In 1971, CMB embarked on a programme to rebody these vehicles as double-deck buses, but with a reduced length of 31ft. The first five vehicles to be rebodied received CMB's own locally built bodies, however, owing to the slow progress with these bodies, the next eighteen chassis received second hand bodies from the UK. Fifteen received BAC (British Aluminium Company) bodies, whilst the final two, earmarked to have similar bodies, received Wong Chow bodies after their intended bodies had already been used on other chassis!

By 1976, the eighteen vehicles that had received second hand bodies had deteriorated such that it was decided to rebody these for a second time, these receiving Wong Chow bodies.

As part of a further rebodying programme in 1979, nineteen of the Long Dragons received Alexander body kits, similar to those fitted to the Victory, but, of course, still as a half cab.