South African order for 60 Volvo coaches

Volvo Buses has received several orders for a total of 60 Volvo B12R chassis to be delivered to South Africa, as well as 20 chassis to Egypt. “The Volvo B12R means we now have basic, robust yet modern chassis equipped with our largest engine. A lot of markets have been asking for this,” says Håkan Sjöberg, sales manager for Africa.

Seven different customers placed the orders for 60 coaches to be delivered to South Africa. The chassis are manufactured by Volvo Buses’ factory in Brazil. Even the coach bodies come from Brazil, manufactured by Marco Polo, Buscar and Irizar. The coaches will be used for intercity traffic throughout South Africa and deliveries are scheduled for the autumn 2005. “South Africa is an important market for Volvo Buses,” says Håkan Sjöberg. “We are third on the market with a market share of about 20 per cent. Last year we sold 170 buses and coaches and expect to sell more this year.” The order from Egypt comes via the importer Ghabbour, which will also manufacture the coach bodies. In this case as well, the chassis is the Volvo B12R from Brazil. These coaches are intended as tourist coaches and deliveries will be completed this spring and summer. “It has been five years since we last had an order from Egypt as we didn’t have a chassis that fulfilled customer requirements,” explains Håkan Sjöberg. “But we do now with the Volvo B12R.” The new chassis is comparable to the Volvo B7R, Volvo Buses’ most popular chassis. It is used for intercity traffic in India, public transport in China and school buses in Australia. A simple yet modern and reliable chassis, it is appreciated for its availability and excellent overall economy. “The new Volvo B12R means we have a similar product but with the bigger engine,” says Håkan Sjöberg. The frame is a sturdy steel construction designed to withstand tough conditions. It’s also easy to fit the bodywork to the chassis, and has a price that appeals to many of Volvo Buses’ customers. 24 May 2005 For more information, please contact Håkan Sjöberg, +46 31 322 42 02 or Per-Martin Johansson, media relations, +46 31 322 52 900. Download high resolution here: http://imagebank.vbc.volvo.se/asset_server/asset_details.asp?idasset=3048