History of Optare

Optare was founded by employees of Chas H. Roe after its closure in 1984. It introduced a new product range and purchased designs from MCW. It was acquired by DAF, American Bus Industries, and the Darwen Group before becoming independent again. It is now owned by Indian manufacturer Ashok-Leyland.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 96 pages
\n Publication date: 15 August 2020
\n Publisher: Amberley Publishing
\n

Optare, a bus builder, emerged in 1984 following the closure of Chas H. Roe, an old-established coachbuilder in Crossgates, Leeds. Initially establishing itself as a fresh entity and introducing a new product range, primarily focusing on minibuses, Optare made a strategic move by acquiring the designs of Birmingham-based MCW when MCW decided to cease bus building. Subsequently, Optare underwent a change in ownership when it was acquired by Dutch bus builder DAF. However, history seemed to repeat itself as Optare later repurchased itself and regained its independence. This was followed by another acquisition when Optare was acquired by Hungarian manufacturer American Bus Industries. Yet again, Optare found itself under new ownership when its management team repurchased the company, ensuring its independence once more. The journey continued when Optare was acquired through a reverse takeover by the Darwen Group, which also owned East Lancashire Coachbuilders. East Lancashire Coachbuilders, in turn, was acquired by Indian manufacturer Ashok-Leyland, and Optare remains under the ownership of Ashok-Leyland today, although it continues to operate from its established manufacturing base in Yorkshire.

A company with a captivating history, Optare's story deserves to be documented and preserved for future generations. Its journey reflects the dynamic nature of the transportation industry and the resilience of its employees and management teams.

\n Weight: 304g\n
Dimension: 235 x 165 x 10 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781445696942\n \n