Coachwork International
| Formerly | New Zealand Motor Bodies | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 26 May 1926 | |
| Defunct | 5 July 1995 | |
| Headquarters | Parent Jaguar Rover Australia | |
Coachwork International was a bus manufacturer in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Founded in 1926 as New Zealand Motor Bodies, in 1983 it merged with Hawke Coachwork to form Coachwork International. It ceased trading in 1993.
History
New Zealand Motor Bodies
New Zealand Motor Bodies (NZMB) was established in 1926 as Munt, Cottrell, Nielsen and Company Limited when Munt, Cottrell & Co of Wellington and Neilsen's Body Works of Dannevirke merged.[1][2]
NZMB operated from the corner of Hutt Road and Jackson Street in Petone building metal frame bus and coach bodies and other commercial bodies, hoists and other truck equipment.[1][3] It bodied over 1,000 Bedford SBs for the New Zealand Railways Department.[4]
A new factory building in Keith Street Palmerston North was opened on 3 July 1977. The new plant covered 18,000 square metres.[3][5]
Coachwork International
In 1983 NZMB merged with competitor Hawke Coachwork to form Coachwork International. Owned by Moller Corporation and Newmans, in 1987 it held an 80% share of the New Zealand bus bodying market. Production continued at the Palmerston North plant, while Hawke's plant in Takanini was retained, specialising in building and repairing buses for city authorities.[6] In 1988, Coachwork International was purchased by Jaguar Rover Australia.[7] After Jaguar Rover Australia was placed in administration, and with the impending end of tariff protection. Deloitte & Touche received no offers to purchase the business with operations ceasing in June 1993.[8][9]
Products
In 1973, it produced the first of 590 VoV bodies for imported Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and MAN bus chassis. In 1977 NZMB obtained manufacturing rights for the Swiss
References
- ^ a b Company Affairs Auckland Star 5 June 1926 page 11
- ^ New Zealand Motor Bodies Limited Pentone's First 100 Years Hutt City 1940
- ^ a b New Zealand Motor Bodies plant, Keith Street Manawatu Heritage
- ISBN 9780244847784.
- ^ New bus body plant opened by major NZ builder Truck & Bus Transportation January 1978 page 114
- ^ CI Sizes up the Aussie Market Truck & Bus Transportation April 1987 pages 60-63
- Australasian Bus & CoachOctober 1988 page 12
- ^ JRA Creditors Pay for its Survival Australasian Bus & Coach July 1993 page 11
- ISBN 978 1 86934 101 5.
- ^ Aluminium buses for New Zealand Truck & Bus Transportation January 1978 page 65
- Fleetlineissue 32 March 1989 page 9
- Rattlerissue 453 July 2015 page 39
- Business Times3 July 1980 page 2
- ^ Contract awarded to New Zealand Motor Bodies Business Times 20 June 1981 page 5
- ^ NZ's first Plaxton Commercial Motor 8 August 1981
External links
Media related to New Zealand Motor Bodies at Wikimedia Commons