Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a worldwide bus manufacturer based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The company manufactures chassis and complete buses, and use Volvo engines and transmissions.
History
Volvo built their first bus on a truck chassis in 1928. Over the next three decades, Volvo introduced their own bus chassis abd their own diesel engines. Their first chassis to sell in large numbers was the B58, which was introduced in 1965.[1]
Volvo Buses was created as an independent division within the Volvo Group in 1968. It acquired a number of companies between 1981 and 2004. Säffle Karossfabrik AB, a body manufacturer, was acquired in 1981. Leyland Motors was acquired in 1998, and production of the Olympian continued under Volvo Buses. Finish body manufacturer Carrus OY and Mexican manufacturer MASA were acquired by Volvo in 1998.[1]
Volvo entered the United States bus industry in 1983. The B10M rigid and articulated buses were assembled at a facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. Philadelphia and San Mateo were amongst the first to place orders with Volvo.[2] However only a small number of orders followed, and Volvo exited the American bus market in 1986.[3]
In 1995, Volvo became part owner of Canadian coach manufacturer Prevost Car and acquired a share in Canadian transit bus manufacturer Nova Bus. The remaining 50% of Prevost Car was acquired in 2004, and Volvo becames the parent to Prevost and Nova brands.
Current products
Chassis
Complete buses
Past products
Chassis (incomplete)
- B56
- B57
- B58
- B59
- B6
- B6LE
- B7L
- B7LA
- B7R
- B7RLE
- B7TL
- B9L
- B9LA
- B9R
- B9RLE
- B9TL
- B10R
- B10B
- B10BLE
- B10L
- B10M
- B10MA
- B10MD
- B12B
- B12M
- Olympian
- Super Olympian
Complete buses
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Volvo Buses Milestones, volvo.com, retrieved on 2009-09-30
- ↑ Egan, Jack. 6 Feb 1984. From boom to buses. New York Magazine. New York.
- ↑ International corporate report: Volvo to stop selling buses in U.S. because of losses. (1986, Jan 13). Wall Street Journal.