Van Hool
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry |
Automotive manufacture Automotive engineering |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Headquarters | Koningshooikt, Belgium |
|
Key people
|
Bernard Van Hool (founder) Filip Van Hool (CEO) |
| Products |
Bus Coach Semi-trailers |
| Subsidiaries | Van Hool USA |
| Website | vanhool.com |
Van Hool NV (Dutch pronunciation: [vɑn ˈɦoːl]) is a Belgian family-owned coachbuilder and manufacturer of buses, coaches, trolleybuses, and trailers.
Most of the buses and coaches are built entirely by Van Hool, with engines and axles sourced from Caterpillar, Cummins, DAF and MAN and gearboxes from ZF or Voith. Some production involves building bus and coach bodies on separate bus chassis from manufacturers such as Volvo and Scania.
Worldwide, Van Hool employs 4,500 people and manufactures over 1,700 buses and coaches (bodyworks and complete vehicles combined) and 5,000 trailers each year. It sells an average of 600 coaches annually in the United States.
The company was founded in 1947 by Bernard van Hool in Koningshooikt, near Lier, Belgium. In the early years, the company introduced serial production and exported their products all over Europe. Since the mid-1980s, the company has also been active on the North American market.
On February 15, 1957, Van Hool signed a commercial agreement with Fiat; Van Hool would incorporate Fiat engines and other mechanical components (gearboxes, axles, steering) in its vehicles. It developed from a coachbuilder to a Belgian manufacturer of integral buses and coaches, known as Van Hool-Fiat. Alongside these activities, the company continued as a coachbuilder, enabling further expansion.
In August 1958, a year and a half after the agreement with Fiat was signed, the 100th Van Hool-Fiat was delivered, and by July 1961, the figure had exceeded 500. The co-operation agreement with Fiat was terminated in 1981.
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Wikipedia