FRANCE Iveco, or Industrial Vehicles Corporation to give it its full name, was founded in 1975 through the merger of five major European industrial vehicle manufacturers: Fiat Veicoli Industriali (which included Officine Meccaniche and Lancia Veicoli Speciali), Unic, and Magirus-Deutz. This year marks the brand’s 50th anniversary, and it has a series of events planned to mark the occasion.
From 1991 to 1999, Iveco established strategic alliances in the coach and bus sector, and merged its coach and bus operations with Renault’s industrial vehicles division, creating the Irisbus joint venture, which became the second-largest manufacturer in Europe; in 2003, Iveco acquired full ownership of Irisbus, though it wasn’t until 2013 that Iveco Bus was established as the brand dedicated to passenger transport.
Today, the manufacturer has established a global presence with seven factories – Annonay and Rorthais in France, Vysoké Myto in the Czech Republic, Brescia and Foggia in Italy, Sete Lagoas in Brazil, and Córdoba in Argentina – and three Research and Development centres in Europe, as well as an extensive network of dealers including 1,000 service points.
The celebrations for Iveco’s 50th anniversary will be marked by ‘50xBeyond,’ a special event organised by Iveco Group from 12 to 15 June at the OGR (Officine Grandi Riparazioni), Turin’s new hub for innovation and art which will bring together institutional representatives, clients, investors, dealers, partners, and all stakeholders who have contributed to building the brand’s history and shaping its future.
In addition Iveco Bus is also preparing a programme of events for 2025 that link its history to its future ambitions to drive change in the transport sector towards more sustainable mobility and a continually improved passenger experience. It’s largest among French industrial site, the Annonay factory, will also celebrate its centenary in 2025, whilst its Vysoké Mýto site in the Czech Republic, the largest Iveco Bus production plant and home to the current Crossway range which was launched in 2006, will celebrate its 130 years of coach and bus manufacturing.
