The Volvo Olympian's were similar in appearance to the Leyland Olympian's delivered in 1993 although the upper-deck front windows have an inverted 'V' type appearance at the roof and, at the rear, the lower deck window is larger. They also feature revised engine cooling ventilation grilles.

There was never a [747] because M747HDL was a reserved registration mark with the DVLA. [per Ian Rivett]

Around 1996/97 M745HDL [745] carried no VOLVO badge (which is normally placed to the offside of the front licence plate) following accident damage sustained in Shanklin. This was re-instated, probably during April 2001.

In 1998 M751HDL [751] was converted to coach standard. It was painted all-over White with vinyls for "Sun Island Holidays", being used for private hire and mainland coach duties. A special trailer was purchased (to carry passenger luggage), which was painted in matching livery, and towed by [751] whilst on the mainland workings. M750HDL [750] was also fitted with a towbar as a backup vehicle. Internally M751HDL [751] was stripped of virtually all of the grabrails, tables were fitted in the bays of the upper deck offside and curtains were fitted to the window bays. Subsequently, the upper-deck front windows were replaced with non-opening fixed glass. On 29 November 1998, the tables and curtains were removed, but the grabrails were not reinstated, and M751HDL [751] returned to passenger duties. [per Gavin Rowney]

In March 2000 M751HDL [751] was repainted into a White Colorbus advertisement for "Southern Vectis Holidays".

During 2001 five of them were repainted into the single-tone Island Explorer Blue livery in:
February 2001: M746HDL [746] and M750HDL [750]
March 2001: M749HDL [749]
April 2001: M745HDL [745]
May 2001: M744HDL [744]

In December 2001 M748HDL [748] was repainted into Route Rouge Red livery with a full rear-end advertisement for "Southern Vectis Holidays". [per Gavin Rowney]

In early March 2002 M751HDL [751] had the Colorbus vinyls removed and it operated in a plain White with Red skirt livery for a short time.

In April 2002 M751HDL [751], still in White base, received a Colorbus advertisement (in Red vinyls) for the "Isle of Wight Festival". [per Gavin Rowney]

By 12 June 2002 M751HDL [751], still in White base, had the Red vinyls advertising the "Isle of Wight Festival" removed and replaced with large red cross vinyls (like a large St. George flag) to both the nearside and offside. [per Gavin Rowney]

In October 2002 M751HDL [751] was repainted into Route Rouge Red livery. [per Gavin Rowney]

Around August 2003 M751HDL [751] had the offside fixed glass window at the front of the upper-deck replaced with an opening vent type, as originally fitted.

During November 2003 M751HDL [751] went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating under contract to Go-Ahead South Central on rail replacement work:
On 15 November at Three Bridges. [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
On 29/30 November in London and Sussex. [per Marc Morgan-Huws]

By 23 April 2004 M745HDL [745] had been fitted with a new engine. [per Gavin Rowney]

In July 2004 M751HDL [751] had the offside opening vent window at the front of the upper-deck replaced back to a (non-opening) fixed glass type. [per Ian Rivett]

Between 26 June 2005 and 3 July 2005 (or 1 July 2005 M751HDL [751] returning due to a broken window) M744HDL [744] / M748HDL [748] / M749HDL [749] & M751HDL [751] went on loan to Solent Blue Line to convey visitors between Glastonbury Music Festival and Street (Somerset) and to operate a Park & Ride service in Portsmouth during the Trafalgar 200 / International Festival of the Seas commemoration (28 June to 3 July 2005). [per Phil Stockley]

Between 1 September 2005 and 24 September 2005 M749HDL [749] went on loan to Solent Blue Line, on the 24 September 2005 operating under contract on Rail Replacement Duties around Southampton Central. [per Phil Stockley / Ian Rivett & Dave Jolliffe]

On 21 September 2005 M748HDL [748] went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating under contract to Wilts & Dorset on University Open Day Shuttles around Southampton. [per Dave Jolliffe]

On 24 September 2005 M744HDL [744] & M751HDL [751] went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating under contract on Rail Replacement Duties around Southampton Central. [per Dave Jolliffe]

Between 22 October 2005 and 23 October 2005 M749HDL [749] went on loan to Solent Blue Line to operate in and around Central London in connection with the Trafalgar 200 celebrations. click here to view photos [per Phil Stockley]

Between 11 November 2005 and 18 November 2005 M744HDL [744] was exchanged for Wilts & Dorset's Salisbury Park & Ride liveried Wright bodied Volvo B7RLE single-decker HF54HHM [134] for evaluation purposes (view photo). [per Marc Morgan-Huws]

Several of the batch were (or will be) fitted with large Hanover electronic/digital destination screens front, side & rear (rear shows service number only). Internally they were fitted with electronic scrolling advertisement display's (which also double as "Bus Stopping" acknowledgements) in both the upper & lower deck's:
By 24 February 2006: M746HDL [746] [per Gavin Rowney]
By 3 March 2006: M744HDL [744] & M749HDL [749] [per Gavin Rowney]
By 7 March 2006: maybe M748HDL [748] [per Gavin Rowney]
By 15 March 2006: M745HDL [745] [per Gavin Rowney]
By 22 March 2006: M750HDL [750] [per Gavin Rowney]

All of the batch were (or will be) internally refitted at Hants & Dorset Trim, Barton Park, Eastleigh, ?>by replacing the seats with low-back seating in the current moquette, the chocolate brown soft trim was replaced with panels in grey-marl with the roof centres fitted with soft trim in the current moquette and grey non-slip floor coverings<?. At the same time they were reseated to H48/29F by re-arrangement of the upper-deck seating only. All seats in the upper-deck now (or will) face forward with the exception of a singular longitudinal seat for one passenger facing inwards, on the offside behind the front seat at the top of the stairway:
by 15 May 2006: M751HDL [751] (with replacement Rowan Telmac seating in the upper deck) [per Gavin Rowney]
by 21 June 2006: M750HDL [750] [per Jonathan Kitcher]
by 24 August 2006: M749HDL [749] [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
by 19 October 2006: M746HDL [746] [per Paul Budden]

All of this batch were repainted into 2006 Two-Tone Green livery:
on 26 May 2006: M751HDL [751] [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
on 1 July 2006: M750HDL [750] [per Gavin Rowney]
by 24 August 2006: M749HDL [749] (livery variant: Green Grill & Headlight Surrounds] [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
by 19 October 2006: M746HDL [746] [per Paul Budden]
on 1 November 2006: M748HDL [748] [per Jonathan Kitcher / Gavin Rowney / Dave Jolliffe]
on 20 November 2006: M745HDL [745] [per Jonathan Kitcher / Marc Morgan-Huws]
by 16 January 2007: M744HDL [744] [per Jonathan Kitcher / Marc Morgan-Huws]

They were all named:
shortly after 26 May 2006: M751HDL [751] was named "Compton Chine". [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
on 5 July 2006: M750HDL [750] was named "Watcombe Bay". [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
on 24 August 2006: M749HDL [749] was named "Newtown Bay". [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
on 19 October 2006: M746HDL [746] was named "Colwell Bay". [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
on 6 November 2006: M748HDL [748] was named "Whale Bay" - on 27 January 2007 it was re-named "Woodside Bay". [per Marc Morgan-Huws]
by 22 November 2006: M745HDL [745] was named "Mount Bay". [per Marc Morgan-Huws / Jonathan Kitcher]
on 16 January 2007: M744HDL [744] was named "Horseshoe Bay (Culver)". [per Marc Morgan-Huws / Jonathan Kitcher]

On 9 September 2006 M745HDL [745] / M749HDL [749] & M750HDL [750] went on hire to Wilts & Dorset (operated by Solent Blue Line) operating on Unilink shuttle services for the Southampton University Open Day. [per Marc Morgan-Huws / Phil Stockley]

Between 15 September 2006 and 24 September 2006 M750HDL [750] & M751HDL [751] went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating on Park & Ride services for the Southampton Boat Show (view photos). [per Phil Stockley]

During 2006 several went on hire to Solent Blue Line operating on rail replacement contract work:
On 28 January 2006: M745HDL [745] & M746HDL [746] between Brighton and Haywards Heath. [per Dave Jolliffe]
On 11 March 2006: M744HDL [744] between Portsmouth and Petersfield/Chichester/Southampton. [per Dave Jolliffe]
On 18 March 2006: M745HDL [745] between Portsmouth and Petersfield/Chichester. [per Dave Jolliffe]
On 19 March 2006: M748HDL [748] & M749HDL [749] between Portsmouth and Petersfield/Chichester. [per Dave Jolliffe]
On 26 March 2006: M748HDL [748] between Portsmouth and Petersfield/Chichester. [per Dave Jolliffe]
On 18 September 2006: M750HDL [750] & M751HDL [751] between Portsmouth Harbour and Portsmouth & Southsea. [per Phil Stockley / Anthony Poulton]