 "Pride of Dover" was the last new ship to appear in service with the famous Townsend Thoresen orange hull, although she was delivered with the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) house flag painted on her funnel in place of the traditional 'TT' insignia.Townsend Thoresen was renamed P&O European Ferries late in 1987, following the disaster, and "Pride of Dover" was swiftly repainted in the new company colours.They were an evolution of the Spirit Class that preceded them and were built in the same dockyard, however, they were so large that their hulls were put together at a different shipyard to that of the construction.