Danish Automobile Building
Encyclopedia
Danish Automobile Building (DAB) (Danish: Dansk Automobil Byggeri A/S) was a Danish bus manufacturer based in Silkeborg
. It was in existence from 1912 until 2002.
DAB was founded in 1912 in Silkeborg by a Mr. J.W.Darr, a German. Starting as a truck maker, the company moved into mounting bus bodies on truck chassis, such as Audi, Krupp, and Büssing-NAG. DAB became a mainstream bus builder through the World Wars.
In 1953 DAB started collaborating with Leyland Motors of Great Britain and as a result DAB used Leyland components for many of its buses, commonly building bodies on Leyland chassis, although they still bodied buses on different chassis as needs arose. In the 1970s Leyland bought a majority stake in DAB and renamed the factory Leyland-DAB, DAB also built buses on Leyland underframes, some for import into the UK, such as the Lion and Guy Arab.
From 1964, DAB built a standardized bus, mainly for Copenhagen. These buses fell into 7 distinct models and went on to be sold to other private companies in Denmark until the model VII well into the 1990s. DAB's buses were alloy-bodied and of modular construction. In the 1980s DAB also started making articulated buses, producing the Leyland-DAB articulated bus
. This saw domestic usage, and was the first articulated buses in the United Kingdom
, albeit with limited repeat orders.
With the decline of Leyland, the Leyland DAB division was included in the sale of Leyland Bus
to Volvo
. In 1990 DAB went on to be a participant in the United Bus
venture, with DAF Bus, Bova, Den Oudsten
and Optare
, with United Bus holding 70% of the shares of DAB. With the failure of the United venture, DAB became a wholly Danish owned factory again.
In the 1990s with the move to low-floor bus
es, DAB developed a new concept, the Travelator, later sold as the Servicebus. This was a full low floor short bus with the doors being placed behind the front wheels, in a similar concept to the later Optare Solo
. Unusually the rear wheels could be specified as steering single wheels. The model was popular, gaining several export orders.
Scania
took over the factory in 1995, the DAB models were initially continued. In 1997 DAB Silkeborg was renamed Scania A/B, Silkeborg. In 1999 production of in house DAB's by now more conventional low floor full length buses was discontinued, in favour of becoming one of two sites building Scania's own models, the OmniLink
and OmniCity
, the other site being Katrineholm
in Sweden
. Due to low order levels, Scania sold the factory to Vest Busscar of Norway
in 2002, ending the DAB name.
Silkeborg
Silkeborg is a city in central Denmark. Located in Silkeborg municipality in Jutland, the city has a population of 42,724 . The development of Silkeborg as a modern city may be traced to the foundation of the paper mill by Michael Drewsen on the Gudenaa in 1844...
. It was in existence from 1912 until 2002.
DAB was founded in 1912 in Silkeborg by a Mr. J.W.Darr, a German. Starting as a truck maker, the company moved into mounting bus bodies on truck chassis, such as Audi, Krupp, and Büssing-NAG. DAB became a mainstream bus builder through the World Wars.
In 1953 DAB started collaborating with Leyland Motors of Great Britain and as a result DAB used Leyland components for many of its buses, commonly building bodies on Leyland chassis, although they still bodied buses on different chassis as needs arose. In the 1970s Leyland bought a majority stake in DAB and renamed the factory Leyland-DAB, DAB also built buses on Leyland underframes, some for import into the UK, such as the Lion and Guy Arab.
From 1964, DAB built a standardized bus, mainly for Copenhagen. These buses fell into 7 distinct models and went on to be sold to other private companies in Denmark until the model VII well into the 1990s. DAB's buses were alloy-bodied and of modular construction. In the 1980s DAB also started making articulated buses, producing the Leyland-DAB articulated bus
Leyland-DAB articulated bus
The Leyland-DAB articulated bus was an articulated bus built by Leyland-DAB in Denmark. The Leyland-DAB artic found customers in Denmark, and was the first modern style articulated buses in the United Kingdom, albeit with limited repeat orders....
. This saw domestic usage, and was the first articulated buses in the United Kingdom
Articulated buses in the United Kingdom
Articulated buses were rarely used in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, until the turn of the millennium. This was historically due to the UK preference for the double-decker bus for use on high capacity routes. As of June 2006, there were over 500 articulated buses in the UK,...
, albeit with limited repeat orders.
With the decline of Leyland, the Leyland DAB division was included in the sale of Leyland Bus
Leyland Bus
Leyland Bus was a British bus manufacturer. It emerged from the Rover Group as a management buyout of the bus business...
to Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
. In 1990 DAB went on to be a participant in the United Bus
United Bus
United Bus was a bus manufacturing group created by DAF Bus and BOVA in 1989. It was later joined by Den Oudsten , Optare , and DAB .-Collaborations:...
venture, with DAF Bus, Bova, Den Oudsten
Den Oudsten
Den Oudsten Bussen B.V. was a Dutch coachbuilder and components manufacturer. The company was founded in 1926 by a local carriage-builder, Marinus den Oudsten. The company's headquarters were based just outside the city of Woerden...
and Optare
Optare
Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and importer based in Leeds and Blackburn, UK. The company operates from three main business units, Bus Manufacturing, Coach Sales and Unitec....
, with United Bus holding 70% of the shares of DAB. With the failure of the United venture, DAB became a wholly Danish owned factory again.
In the 1990s with the move to low-floor bus
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
es, DAB developed a new concept, the Travelator, later sold as the Servicebus. This was a full low floor short bus with the doors being placed behind the front wheels, in a similar concept to the later Optare Solo
Optare Solo
The Optare Solo is a low-floor midibus manufactured by Optare in Leeds, UK since 1997. The name "Solo" is a play on the low-floor status of the bus, the manufacturer believing its vehicle having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm with kneeling suspension.The innovative...
. Unusually the rear wheels could be specified as steering single wheels. The model was popular, gaining several export orders.
Scania
Scania AB
Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...
took over the factory in 1995, the DAB models were initially continued. In 1997 DAB Silkeborg was renamed Scania A/B, Silkeborg. In 1999 production of in house DAB's by now more conventional low floor full length buses was discontinued, in favour of becoming one of two sites building Scania's own models, the OmniLink
Scania OmniLink
The Scania OmniLink is an integrally-constructed rear longitudinal-engined citybus available on the European market. It is a complete product built by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
and OmniCity
Scania OmniCity
The Scania OmniCity is an integrally-constructed transverse-engined low floor citybus available on the European market. The OmniCity is a complete product built in Poland by Scania AB, a company based in Sweden....
, the other site being Katrineholm
Katrineholm
Katrineholm is a locality and the seat of Katrineholm Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 21,386 inhabitants in 2005.-Early history:The name Katrineholm comes from a ducal residence with this name, after Catherina Gyllenhorn who lived there...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Due to low order levels, Scania sold the factory to Vest Busscar of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 2002, ending the DAB name.