Ansair was an Australian bus bodybuilder owned by

Ansett Transport Industries Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into admini ...

and later the

Clifford Corporation Clifford Corporation was a listed Australian company that purchased several bus manufacturing businesses in the mid-1990s before collapsing in November 1998. History In August 1995 Clifford Corporation purchased the Ansair bus bodybuilding busin ...

History

Ansair was founded by Reg Ansett in 1945 at Tullamarine, to make bodies for his

Ansett Pioneer Ansett Pioneer was an Australian long distance coach operator. Founded in 1905 as the AA Withers Bus Company, the company maintained continuous operation under a variety of corporate monikers until its 1993 merger into Greyhound Pioneer Australi ...

coaches, as well as manufacture aircraft components for

Ansett Airways Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into adminis ...

. It also provided bus bodies for other operators. In 1987 a plant opened in

Kingston, Tasmania Kingston is a town on the outskirts of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Nestled 12 km south of the city between and around several hills, Kingston is the seat of the Kingborough Council, and today serves as the gateway between Hobart and the ...

, to make bodies for

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skån ...

buses used by Metro Tasmania, and in January 1993 a plant opened at East-West Airlines' former

Tamworth Airport Tamworth Airport is a regional airport serving Tamworth, a city in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located from the town centre, on New Winton Road. The airport is owned and operated by the Tamworth Regional Council and is l ...

maintenance facility to make bodies for Scanias used by Sydney Buses. In August 1995 Ansett Transport Industries sold Ansair to the

. In September 1995 the Kingston plant closed, followed in 1997 by Tullamarine. Ansair ceased trading in November 1998 when the Clifford Corporation collapsed. The Tamworth plant was reopened by

Jakab Industries Jakab Industries was an Australian coachbuilder in Tamworth, New South Wales. History Jakab Industries built its first bus body in July 1973, a Ford R226. It mainly made bodies for buses for the defence forces, but also built some for commercia ...

to complete an order of Volvo B10BLEs for Sydney Buses, under the Phoenix Bus brand.

References

External links

*
Bus Australia gallery
{{Australian bus manufacturers, state=collapsed Ansett Australia Bus manufacturers of Australia Australian companies established in 1945 Australian companies disestablished in 1998