Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German
automotive company that
manufactures buses,
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es and
coaches
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
. It is a
subsidiary
A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
of
MAN Truck & Bus SE.
History
Foundations
![JR Bus Kanto Neoplan Megaliner](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/JR_Bus_Kanto_Neoplan_Megaliner.jpg)
The company was founded by Gottlob Auwärter in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
in 1935, and manufactured
bodywork for
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
and
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
chassis
A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
. By 1953, the company had moved away from manufacturing buses on truck chassis, to a partial
monocoque
Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell".
First used for boats, ...
design with a steel tube skeleton, providing the structural support, enhanced by welded side panels.
The engine was moved to the
rear
Rear may refer to:
Animals
*Rear (horse), when a horse lifts its front legs off the ground
*In stockbreeding, to breed and raise
Humans
*Parenting (child rearing), the process of promoting and supporting a child from infancy to adulthood
*Gende ...
. In 1957,
air suspension
Air suspension is a type of vehicle suspension powered by an electric or engine-driven air pump or compressor. This compressor pumps the air into a flexible bellows, usually made from textile-reinforced rubber. Unlike hydropneumatic suspension, ...
was made available.
1960s
In 1961, a new bus design, the ''Typ Hamburg'', was unveiled at the
Geneva Motor Show
The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. Developed by the founder's eldest son, Albrecht Auwärter, and another student, Swiss national Bob Lee, as part of their dissertation at
Hamburg University
The University of Hamburg (german: link=no, Universität Hamburg, also referred to as UHH) is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('' Allgemeines Vor ...
. The design was the first bus to allow passengers to regulate their fresh air supply through a nozzle from two air ducts, commonly seen in contemporary designs, as well as offering air suspension.
Both Albrecht and Lee joined Neoplan after graduating from the university. Albrecht took over management of the company in 1965, and Bob Lee later became head of Engineering and Design.
In 1964, the founder's second son, Konrad Auwärter, developed a
double-deck bus design for a service bus as part of his dissertation.
The "Do-Bus" design had low weight, and could carry over 100 passengers. It also featured a low-frame front
axle
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
with forward-mounted
steering
Steering is a system of components, linkages, and other parts that allows a driver to control the direction of the vehicle.
Introduction
The most conventional steering arrangement allows a driver to turn the front wheels of a vehicle using ...
gear that permitted a low, flat floor. The double-deck principle was applied to the coach design, creating a high-capacity comfortable touring vehicle. This vehicle was known as the
Skyliner
The is an airport limited express train service between Tokyo and Narita Airport in Japan. It is operated by Keisei Electric Railway and runs on the Narita Sky Access route.
This article also covers the and services.
Service
The ''Skylin ...
.
1970s–1980s
In 1971, the Cityliner was introduced to the public. This design had a passenger platform above the driver's cab, and included an onboard toilet. The vehicle also made use of
glass-fibre reinforced plastic for certain areas of the body; this was the first instance when this technique was used.
A second manufacturing facility opened in
Pilsting
Pilsting is a municipality in the district of Dingolfing-Landau in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Ru ...
in 1973, and a third opened in
Kumasi
Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...
, Ghana in December 1974 to support increasing orders.
Several more plants were added in the 1980s, including two in the United States. The United States plants were later spun off into a separate, and now defunct, independent company (
Neoplan USA
Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It is a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE.
History Foundations
The company was founded by Gottlob Auwärter in Stuttgart in 1935, and man ...
) that used the Neoplan name under licence.
1990s-2000s
Further manufacturing facilities were opened during the 1990s and 2000s.
The Starliner was introduced in 1996, and would go on to win the ''
Bus of the Year'' award for two consecutive years – in 1998 and 1999.
In 1999 the company unveiled a prototype fuel cell bus.
![2022, Neoplan Tourliner, Samos island, Greece](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/2022%2C_Neoplan_Tourliner%2C_Samos_island%2C_Greece.jpg)
In 2001, Neoplan, or correctly, "Gottlob Auwärter GmbH & Co KG" was acquired by
MAN AG
MAN Truck & Bus SE (formerly MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, ) is a subsidiary of Traton, and one of the leading international providers of commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, MAN Truck & Bus produces vans in the range from 3.0 to 5.5 t ...
subsidiary
MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG to form
Neoman Bus
Neoman Bus GmbH, also known as Neoman Bus Group, was a bus, trolleybus and coach manufacturer in Germany, created when MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG acquired Neoplan Bus GmbH in 2001. While the parent company also makes trucks and other vehicles, Neoman w ...
GmbH.
The Starliner won the ''Bus of the Year'' award for two more consecutive years in 2001 and 2002.
In 2007, a new Auwärter Museum was opened in
Landau an der Isar
]
Landau an der Isar (Central Bavarian: ''Landa an da Isar'') is the second-largest town in the Lower Bavarian district, or ''Landkreis'', of Dingolfing-Landau, in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It lies on the river Isar, 120 km downstream fro ...
.
On 1 February 2008, Neoman Bus GmbH was fully integrated into the bus division of the larger MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group, and ceased to exist in its own right. Neoplan and
MAN Truck & Bus
MAN Truck & Bus SE (formerly MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG, ) is a subsidiary of Traton, and one of the leading international providers of commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, MAN Truck & Bus produces vans in the range from 3.0 to 5.5 t ...
began operating as two separate but integrated marques of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group.
Accidents
On 28 May 2008, in Japan one of two Neoplan Megaliners operated by
West JR Bus Company
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...
caught fire while in service, and burnt down completely. No passengers were injured. The company resumed operations with its second Megaliner in July 2008.
On 16 March 2009, in Japan one of two Megaliners operated by JR Kanto Bus Company caught fire on an overnight ''Seishun Mega-Dream Go'' service between
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
and
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
. The 77 passengers and driver evacuated safely before the coach was completely destroyed.
[Asahi Shimbun]
Tour bus catches fire on expressway (17 March 2009)
Retrieved on 17 March 2009. Following this accident, both operators suspended operations of the remaining two Megaliners in Japan.
Products
Buses
* Electroliner
(electric trolleybus)
*Neoplan Airliner[ ] ( airport apron bus, 1960–present)
*Tropicliner
Discontinued models
* Centroliner (low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus or trolleybus that has no steps between the ground and the floor of the bus at one or more entrances, and low floor for part or all of the passenger cabin. A bus with a partial low floor may also be referred to as a low- ...
; 1997-2009)[ ][ ]
* Typ Hamburg (1961)
* Megaliner
* Jumbocruiser
* Cityliner (1971)
*Jetliner (1973)
*Spaceliner
* Skyliner 67 (1965)
* Metroliner
* Starliner C/L
* Transliner
* Trendliner
* Euroliner
* Megashuttle
See also
*Neoplan USA
Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It is a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE.
History Foundations
The company was founded by Gottlob Auwärter in Stuttgart in 1935, and man ...
, defunct US subsidiary
*2013 Podgorica bus crash
On June 23, 2013, 19 people, all Romanians, were killed and another 28 wounded in a bus crash near Podgorica in Montenegro. The bus, with registration plate number B 123 MMJ, skidded off the road, crashing into a ravine about 40 m below. A local ch ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1935
Bus manufacturers of Germany
Trolleybus manufacturers
German brands
MAN SE
1935 establishments in Germany