Northern Counties

The Northern Counties Motor & Engineering CompanyCompanies House extract company no 308576  The Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Company was a maker of bus and coach bodies.

History
Northern Counties Motor & Engineering Company was founded in Wigan in 1919 by Henry Lewis. The Lewis family remained owners of the company until it was bought out over seventy years later. 

 1990s 
In May 1991, Northern Counties went in administration.The story of Northern Counties, the Wigan based bodybuilder Commercial Motor 9 January 1992 It survived the administration and it carried on making bus and coach bodies.

In May 1995, Northern Counties was bought for £10 million by the Henlys Group, owner of Plaxton.

In 1999, Northern Counties name was replaced with the Plaxton name, the Northern Counties plant in Wigan still carried on making bus and coach bodies for Plaxton.

 2000s 
In 2000, Henlys and Mayflower Corporation (owners of Alexander and Dennis) joined together, The joint venture was known as TransBus International, and buses used the TransBus name.Mayflower and Henlys burst past rivalry to merge UK bus building The Independent 2 August 2000

On 31 March 2004, TransBus International went into administration.Update: re Administration Mayflower Corporation 22 April 2004

On 21 May 2004, TransBus International was bought by a merchant banker named Noble Grossart, and businessmen David Murray and Brian Souter.Murray and Souter join forces to buy TransBus The Scotsman 21 May 2004 the Transbus International name was replaced with Alexander Dennis.

On 26 January 2005, the Northern Counties plant in Wigan was closed after it finished making the Plaxton President bodies.Bob's life on the buses  Wigan Evening Post 8 September 2006

Products
Palatine (double-decker)
Paladin (single-decker)
Prestige (low-floor single-decker)
President (low-floor double-decker)

Gallery

References

Ogden, Eric; (1976). Northern Counties of Wigan. The Transport Publishing Company. .
Booth, Gavin (1983). The British Bus Today and Tomorrow. Ian Allan Ltd. 
Townsin, Alan (1985). The British Bus Story - The 'Sixties - Turbulent Times. The Transport Publishing Company. 

Other websites

 A very useful listing of all bodies built from 1956 to 2005
Detailed history of the development of the SELNEC standard

Category:British transport companies
Category:Bus manufacturers
Category:1900s establishments in England
Category:2005 disestablishments in England
Category:Wigan