| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Successor | VDL Bus & Coach |
| Founded | 1931 |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | , The Netherlands |
| Products | Buses |
| Parent | VDL Groep |
| Website | www.vdlbova.nl |
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VDL Bova was a luxury coachbuilder based in Eindhoven, in The Netherlands which began building coaches in 1931. In particular, it is well known for the Bova Futura, a streamlined coach usually with a DAF engine, which was first introduced in the 1980s and continues in production as at 2018 as the VDL Futura.[1]
The founder, JD Bots, later to be known as JD Bova, founded the company that would come to be known as Bova in 1878 with the creation of a timber business in Valkenswaard. When Bots died, he left the business to his eldest son Simon who first introduced the name Bova, which was derived from Bots Valkenswaard.[2]
In 1931 the company began building coaches, and in 1969 introduced the Benelux, a self-supporting integral coach.[3] The company was purchased by VDL Groep in 2003, who also owned the Berkhof, Jonckheere and VDL Bus Chassis brands.[4] From 2010 the individual brands were discontinued and VDL Bova became part of VDL Bus & Coach.
Products
Integral Buses and Coaches
- Benelux (coach/interurban, replaced by Europa)
- Europa (coach, replaced by Futura)
- Futura (coach/interurban, replaced by VDL Futura 2)
- Magiq (coach, derivative of Futura, replaced by VDL Futura 2)
- X-press (low-floor bus with rear engine, only 16 built in 1980)
Bus and Coach Chassis
- Calypso (coach, with Europa underframe and Duple bodywork)
Bus and Coach Bodywork
Initially Bova built bus bodywork on a variety of chassis, but switched to building integral vehicles in the early 1970s. After becoming part of VDL Groep some chassis/bodywork combinations of DAF/Berkhof heritage were sold as complete vehicles under the VDL Bova name:
- Lexio (interurban bus based on VDL SD400 chassis, replaced by VDL Citea)
- Synergy (double-deck coach based on VDL SBR4000 chassis, rebadged from Berkhof Axial 100. Replaced by VDL Futura FDD2)
References
- ^ Futura VDL Bus & Coach
- ^ History Bova Futura
- ^ Core activities VDL Bova
- ^ VDL Groep koopt busbouwer Bova NRC Handelsblad 6 May 2003 (in Dutch)
External links
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Media related to Bova vehicles at Wikimedia Commons