Denning Manufacturing
 Denning Manufacturing Silver Phoenix in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales in May 2009 | |
| Industry | Bus manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Headquarters | |
| Parent | Custom Bus |
| Website | www |
Denning Manufacturing is an Australian bus manufacturer in Acacia Ridge, Brisbane, Australia. In September 2019, it was acquired by Custom Bus, but its branding and operations will be retained.[1]
Current Operations
[edit]Denning Manufacturing was formed in 2004 in a take-over of Alan B Denning's manufacturing plant.[2][3] It manufacturers integral buses and coaches (chassis and body) as well as chassis for bodying by other manufacturers with Caterpillar or Cummins engines.[4]
History
[edit]Denning
[edit]| Founded | 1958 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Alan B Denning |
| Defunct | 1990 |
| Fate | merged with Austral to form |
| Successor | Austral Denning |
| Headquarters | |
| Parent | Leyland Australia |
Denning commenced bodying buses in Brisbane in 1958. Denning's first integral bus (both chassis and body), the Monocoach, was launched in 1966. Along with the later Denair and Landseer, it would become the dominant long-distance coach in Australia.
In 1968, Denning was sold to Leyland Australia. Between 1968 and 1970 it bodied 136 Leyland Panthers for the Brisbane City Council.[5]
In 1970, a plant was opened in Beverley, South Australia to body 292 AEC Swift 691s for the Municipal Tramways Trust in Adelaide.[6] Some monocoaches were built there before the plant closed in August 1974. In 1979, Denning coaches began to be assembled under licence in New Zealand by the Mount Cook Group.[7]
In December 1988, Leyland Australia (by now renamed JRA Limited) purchased Denning's biggest competitor in the coach market, Austral from AP Group.[8][9] Both continued to operate separately until 1990 when the Denning plant in Acacia Ridge was closed and production transferred to the Austral facility in Geebung.[10]
Alan B Denning Co.
[edit]| Predecessor | Denning |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 |
| Defunct | Nov 2003 |
| Successor | Denning Manufacturing |
| Headquarters |
The Alan B Denning Co. commenced operations supplying body kits for buses assembled in Asia, primarily on Mercedes-Benz chassis in 1994.[11] In February 1995 it began bodying buses and coaches for Australian operators.[12] The company was placed in administration in November 2003 with the plant subsequently being purchased by Denning Manufacturing.[13][14][15] The business was successfully operated up until its sale to the Dunn Group, in 2019.
References
[edit]- ^ "CUSTOM ACQUIRES DENNING; NEW CITY BUS LAUNCH AT BUSVIC 2019". Australasian Bus & Coach. 3 September 2019. Archived from the original on 8 September 2019. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
- ^ Denning renewed Archived 2013-06-16 at archive.today Australasian Bus & Coach
- ^ Australian Bus Body Builders Bus Australia
- ^ Our Products Denning Manufacturing
- ^ Leyland Panther PSUR1-1 Denning Brisbane Transport Buses fleet lists
- ^ McNichol, Steve (1982). Bus and Coach Pictorial: SA. Elizabeth: Railmac Publications. p. 5. ISBN 0 949817 15 5.
- ^ Leylands built down under Commercial Motor 9 December 1977
- ^ "JRA acquires Austral"; Fleetline (February 1989); page 22
- ^ "Industry News" Australian Bus Panorama; (4/5 March 1989); page 10
- ^ "Bodybuilder News" Fleetline; (September 1991); page 151
- ^ "Bodybuilders" Fleetline January 1996 page 20
- ^ "History repeats itself" Australian Bus Panorama; May 1995 issue; 10/8; page 19
- ^ Denning takes orders Archived 2013-06-16 at archive.today Australasian Bus & Coach
- ^ Denning renewed Australasian Bus & Coach
- ^ About Us Archived 6 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine Denning Manufacturing
