User:Davey2010/sandbox4

History

G-Line Holidays Plaxton Elite bodied Volvo B9R in June 2011

Plaxtons was founded as a joinery workshop, and started building contracting. As a building contractor, They built buildings in Scarborough. After World War I they stared to build automobile bodywork. This included bodywork for Rolls-Royce, Sunbeam and Daimler, but principally for Crossley car chassis. In the 1920s and early 1930s they stopped building automobile bodywork and started building coach bosywork.

First Bristol Plaxton Pointer bodied Dennis Dart SLF in Bath in October 2010

First London Plaxton President bodied Dennis Trident 2 at Upton Park station in July 2008

Southern Vectis Plaxton Premiere bodied Volvo B10M on the Isle of Wight in August 2011

JPT Bus Company Plaxton Centro bodied MAN 18.240 in Manchester in July 2008

In 1989, Plaxtons bought Henlys, a company that included 34 motor dealers and Coleman Milne, makers of hearses and limousines. The name of the company was changed to Plaxton Group plc.

In May 1992, the company was renamed from Plaxton Group plc to Henlys Group.

In 1995, Henlys purchased bus body maker Northern Counties for £10 million. Buses were still made with the Plaxton name.

In August 2000, Henlys and Mayflower Corporation joined together, Mayflower Corporation were owners of Dennis and Alexander. The joint venture was called TransBus International. Henlys held a 30% stake in the joint venture, which employed 3,300 employees at seven locations. In 2000, Alexander, Dennis and Plaxton were replaced by TransBus International.

Independent again

On 31 March 2004, TransBus International went into administration. On 17 May 2004, the Plaxton business was sold in a management buyout and resumed trading as Plaxton Limited.

In May 2005, Plaxton announced it had made the Centro, a low-floor single-deck bus.

Plaxton announced it had made the Primo, a low-floor minibus, in September 2005.

Purchase by Alexander Dennis

In May 2007, Plaxton was purchased by Alexander Dennis.

In 2008, the new Plaxton Elite was launched at Birmingham Euro Bus Expo and by 2011 had delivered 100 Elites. Originally based on the Volvo B12B chassis, it was later developed to suit the Volvo B9R and B13R chassis.

Alexander Dennis announced in March 2024 that as a result of the shift of the company's priorities to manufacturing battery electric buses, production of Plaxton coaches would be suspended until 2026.