Neoplan

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German bus and coach manufacturer

title: "Neoplan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["neoplan", "vehicle-manufacturing-companies-established-in-1935", "bus-manufacturers-of-germany", "trolleybus-manufacturers", "german-brands", "man-se", "1935-establishments-in-germany"] description: "German bus and coach manufacturer" topic_path: "geography/germany" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary German bus and coach manufacturer ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameNeoplan Bus GmbH
logoLogo Neoplan.svg
typeDivision
founded
founder
locationStuttgart, Germany
key_peopleJoachim Reinmuth (chairman of the board of management)
former designers: Albrecht Auwärter, Bob Lee, Konrad Auwärter
industryAutomotive
productsBuses
Coaches
Trolleybuses
area_servedWorldwide
num_employees1,300
parentMAN Truck & Bus SE
homepage
::

| name = Neoplan Bus GmbH | logo = Logo Neoplan.svg | type = Division | predecessor = | successor = | founded = | founder = | location = Stuttgart, Germany | locations = | key_people = Joachim Reinmuth (chairman of the board of management) former designers: Albrecht Auwärter, Bob Lee, Konrad Auwärter | industry = Automotive | products = Buses Coaches Trolleybuses | area_served = Worldwide | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | num_employees = 1,300 | parent = MAN Truck & Bus SE | divisions = | homepage = | footnotes =

Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It became a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE in 2001. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Co_Bus_airport_bus_(cropped).jpg" caption="Neoplan Airport bus"] ::

History

Early days

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/NeoplanSkyliner.jpg" caption="[[Trathens Travel Services]], [[Plymouth]] 1983 [[Neoplan Skyliner"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Neoplan_Doppelstockbus_Viernheim_100_3625.jpg" caption="[[Neoplan Skyliner]] in February 2006"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/DXB_on_23_September_2007_Pict_6.jpg" caption="Neoplan Airliner at [[Dubai International Airport]], 2007"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Stagecoach_Oxfordshire_50123_OX04_BZS.JPG" caption="[[Stagecoach Oxfordshire]] [[Neoplan Skyliner]] in June 2009"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/JR_Bus_Kanto_Neoplan_Megaliner.jpg" caption="[[Neoplan Megaliner]] in Japan"] ::

The company was founded by (1903–1993) in Stuttgart in 1935, and manufactured bodywork for bus and truck chassis. By 1953, the company had moved away from manufacturing buses on truck chassis, to a partial monocoque design with a steel tube skeleton, providing the structural support, enhanced by welded side panels. The engine was moved to the rear. In 1957, air suspension was made available.

1960s

In 1961, a new bus design, the Typ Hamburg, was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. 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 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 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 with forward-mounted steering 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.

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 in 1973, and a third opened in Kumasi, 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) that used the Neoplan name under licence. Chinese production started in 1986, originally producing North brand Neoplan buses via companies under the Norinco umbrella: this was spun off into a separate joint venture with Youngman.

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. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/2022,_Neoplan_Tourliner,_Samos_island,_Greece.jpg" caption="Neoplan Tourliner (Samos island, Greece) in August 2022" alt="Neoplan Tourliner (Samos island, Greece)"] ::

In 2001, Neoplan, or correctly, "Gottlob Auwärter GmbH & Co KG" was acquired by MAN AG subsidiary MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG to form Neoman Bus GmbH. The Starliner won the Bus of the Year award for two more consecutive years in 2001 and 2002.

In 2008, the Gottlob Auwärter Museum was opened in Stuttgart, opposite the headquarters of Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG.

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 began operating as two separate but integrated marques of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group.

Products

Buses

Discontinued models

References

References

  1. "Locations – The plants of Neoplan Bus GmbH". neoplan.de.
  2. "Milestones – History from 1935 to 1953". neoplan.de.
  3. Weiers, B.. (1982). "Transit Bus Manufacturer Profiles: Project Memorandum". Urban Mass Transportation Administration, Office of Bus and Paratransit Systems.
  4. Behling, Noriko Hikosaka. (2013). "Fuel Cells: Current Technology Challenges and Future Research Needs". Newnes.
  5. (2020-06-10). "Auwärter NEOPLAN Omnibusse". Podszun GmbH.
  6. (2015). "Nutzfahrzeuge Gestern - Heute - Morgen: Automobil Kolloquium 2013 Dokumentation". BoD – Books on Demand.
  7. "60 North Buses to Be Delivered to Shanghai City".
  8. "Neoplan Electroliner". neoplan.de.
  9. (September 2010). "Neoplan overview". neoplan.de.
  10. "Neoplan Centroliner". neoplan.de.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

neoplanvehicle-manufacturing-companies-established-in-1935bus-manufacturers-of-germanytrolleybus-manufacturersgerman-brandsman-se1935-establishments-in-germany