The history of NEOPLAN-Gottlob Auwaerter GmbH and Company started in 1935 when Gottlob Auwaerter started its business in the Möhringen district of Stuttgart with his brother Konrad, sister Else, and his eldest son, Albrecht. They started to build vehicle bodies, especially those for buses.
Gottlob Auwärter designed and built his very first monocoque bus in 1953. He called the design NEOPLAN to distinguish it from his conventional bodies. The Neoplan is an integral monocoque construction that made buses lighter, more versatile and more comfortable.
In 1960s, the company started to build step-free airport apron buses and double deckers. They also built new high-decker coaches. In 1970s, they challanged the super low floor city buses and articulated single deckers and double deckers. Their Megaliner 4-axled city buses has won orders in different countries.
The NEOPLAN buses have a very short history in Hong Kong. A Megashuttle N 4032 citybus and a N 316SHD coach were tested in Hong Kong in 1997. The Megashuttle was 15m long and three double width doors. However, the bus was only 4 metres, much lower than existing double deckers in Hong Kong, and longer than the statutory limit of length of buses in Hong Kong, it was sent back to Germany in 1999. But because of its good manoevurability, Kowloon Motor Bus and later New World First Bus have ordered a total of 162 12m long Centroliner N4026/3s and N4426/3s, with a modified body height of 4.35m.
Airliner
N 9022
Centroliner
N 4007 (Germany)
N 4016 (Germany, Spain)
N 4021NF (Germany)
N 4026/3 (Germany, Hong Kong)
N 4426/3 (Hong Kong)
Cityliner
N 116 (Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt,
Germany, Hungary, Russia, South Africa)
N 116/3 (Russia, United Kingdom)
N 1116 (Czech Republic, Germany)
N 1116/3 (Germany)
N 1216 (Turkey)
Euroliner / Transliner
N 312K
N 313 SHD
N 316 SHD (Austria, Czech Republic,
Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom)
N 316U
N 318UL (Austria)
Megaliner
N 128/4 (Germany, Turkey)
Megashuttle
N 4032/4 (Hong Kong)
Regioliner
N 3016 (Japan)
Skyliner
N 122/3 (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Japan,
South Africa, United
Kingdom)
N 122/3L
N 1122/3
N 1122/3L (Czech Republic, Hungary, United
Kingdom)
Spaceliner
N117 (Austria, Germany)
N117/3 (Germany)
Starliner
N 516 (Germany)
N 5218 (Italy, Turkey)
Tourliner
N 2216 SHD (Italy, Turkey)
N 2218 SHD/3 (Turkey)
Return to Anthony's Bus Homepage
Page created: 31 May 1999
Last updated: 27 December 2009