VDL Bova

VDL Bova was a luxury coachbuilder based in Eindhoven, in The Netherlands which began building coaches in 1931. In particular, it is well known for the Bova Futura, a streamlined coach usually with a DAF engine, which was first introduced in the 1980s and continues in production as at 2018 as the VDL Futura.[1]

VDL Bova
IndustryAutomotive
SuccessorVDL Bus & Coach
Founded1931
Defunct2010
Headquarters
Eindhoven
,
The Netherlands
ProductsBuses
ParentVDL Groep
Websitewww.vdlbova.nl
Eurolines Bova Futura in May 2010
Bova Lexio in September 2012

The founder, JD Bots, later to be known as JD Bova, founded the company that would come to be known as Bova in 1878 with the creation of a timber business in Valkenswaard. When Bots died, he left the business to his eldest son Simon who first introduced the name Bova, which was derived from Bots Valkenswaard.[2]

In 1931 the company began building coaches, and in 1969 introduced the Benelux, a self-supporting integral coach.[3] The company was purchased by VDL Groep in 2003, who also owned the Berkhof, Jonckheere and VDL Bus Chassis brands.[4] From 2010 the individual brands were discontinued and VDL Bova became part of VDL Bus & Coach.

Products

Integral Buses and Coaches
  • Benelux (coach/interurban, replaced by Europa)
  • Europa (coach, replaced by Futura)
  • Futura (coach/interurban, replaced by VDL Futura 2)
  • Magiq (coach, derivative of Futura, replaced by VDL Futura 2)
  • X-press (low-floor bus with rear engine, only 16 built in 1980)

Bus and Coach Chassis
  • Calypso (coach, with Europa underframe and Duple bodywork)

Bus and Coach Bodywork

Initially Bova built bus bodywork on a variety of chassis, but switched to building integral vehicles in the early 1970s. After becoming part of VDL Groep some chassis/bodywork combinations of DAF/Berkhof heritage were sold as complete vehicles under the VDL Bova name:

  • Lexio (interurban bus based on VDL SD400 chassis, replaced by VDL Citea)
  • Synergy (double-deck coach based on VDL SBR4000 chassis, rebadged from Berkhof Axial 100. Replaced by VDL Futura FDD2)
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References
  1. Futura VDL Bus & Coach
  2. History Bova Futura
  3. Core activities VDL Bova
  4. VDL Groep koopt busbouwer Bova NRC Handelsblad 6 May 2003 (in Dutch)

Media related to Bova vehicles at Wikimedia Commons

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