Cheers David, the pictures above were all (apart from the first one) taken by Geoff Milne at the South Bank yard at Middlesbrough. The first one was taken by Tom (Riding).
Here’s a picture of the type of Mk2 Silver Knight you refer to.
With regard to the name plates, these were started with an ex-Monkland Motors (fellow TDG company) Mk2 (AMS 113K - Fleet Number 33) which was called Invincible. I’m sure I’m not speaking out of turn by saying that Tom’s great passion (apart from Preston North End) is railways, and he started naming the fleet after renowned steam locomotives, later after prominent hills and fells.
The short crash bars were a weight-saving measure, given that whatever was going to hit the outer ends of the standard item would inevitably damage the glass-fibre bodywork behind it anyway. The short bar at least protected the radiator if nothing else.