PLAXTON (UK)

Plaxton Park, Cayton Low Rd
Eastfield, Scarborough
North Yorks
YO11 3BY

Plaxton is a British manufacturer of long standing. The first bus back to the Twenties of last century but the company has existed since 1907. Was founded by Frederick William Plaxton at Scarborough in North Yorkshire. Initially, the activity was related to real estate. It was just after the First World War that the business expanded to the transport sector with bodies for luxury cars like Rolls Royce, Sunbeam and Daimler. In this task were also included bodies for buses on Ford chassis. With the Great Depression of the Thirties, luxury cars gave way to cheaper buses that become the main activity of Plaxton. Several models of time were on Leyland and AEC frames. In 1961 Plaxton became a 'public company'. Following the economic difficulties of the Eighties, property of Plaxton passed into the hands of Kirkby Bus & Coach, a Plaxton leading retailers who contributed to the modernization of production plant in Scarborough. In 1989 Plaxton acquired Henlys, another British coachbuilder and following this operation was established Plaxton Group Plc. In 2000 it was the turn of the joint venture with Mayflower, owner of brands Alexander and Dennis. From this joint venture was created the International Transbus going to replace the marks Plaxton, Alexander and Dennis. In 2004 Mayflower failed and Plaxton became again an independent company but only for a short time: in 2007 the property goes back to his hand and Plaxton became part of the Alexander Dennis Group.