(first posted 10/8/2017) Thirty-five years ago the Bova Futura surprised the bus and coach world with its aerodynamic, clean design and huge windshield; a smooth coach, tightly built. More than three decades later it still looks modern and fresh.
Bova’s history dates back to 1878, when Jacob Bots started a timber company in Valkenswaard, in the south of the Netherlands. In 1910 his son Simon introduced the name Bova, an acronym for Bots Valkenswaard.
The manufacturing of buses and coaches started in 1954. As was the case with Bova’s competitors, the starting point for building a bus or coach in those days was a rolling chassis supplied by a European truckmaker. Logically DAF chassis were widely used by the numerous post-war independent Dutch manufacturers, mostly small family businesses. Moreover, DAF in Eindhoven was just around the corner of the Bova production facility.
In 1969 Bova started to build self-supporting integral buses and coaches. The eye-catching Futura, introduced in September 1982, became the company’s most successful model.
The Futura I caught at the recently held 2017 DAF Museum Days is an FHD 12.280.
FHD stands for Futura High-Deck DAF. The High-Deck is 3.55 m (11’8”) tall, whereas the height of the Futura Low-Deck is 3.26 m (10’8”). The designation 12.280 means that its overall length is 12.00 m (39’4”) and that the engine’s maximum power output is 280 DIN-hp.
In this coach the power unit is an 11.6 liter inline-six DAF diesel engine with a turbocharger and intercooler. Futuras have also been equipped with Mercedes-Benz, MAN and -only in the UK- Cummins engines.
Some additional numbers: curb weight 10,820 kg (23,854 lbs), maximum GVM 16,900 lbs (37,258 lbs). As an aside, coaches are allowed to drive 100 km/h (62 mph) on the freeway.
Now let’s step inside.
Standing all the way in the back.
And the cockpit, with the shifter for the six-speed transmission in the foreground.
In my opinion this is the most outstanding, recognizable and timeless Dutch coach design ever.
In 2003 Bova was taken over by the VDL Groep, like DAF a company just around the corner. The Bova-name may not be on the buses and coaches anymore, but the Futura lives on.
I’ve seen some current VDL Futura here in Portugal, but I think they’re not officially imported here. The old Futura itself made it to the 2010’s. That’s an enormous lifespan and it shows how groundbreaking the Futura was. The only other bus I can think of with such large lifespan was the 1990 Irizar Century, that needed extensive restylings to make it to this decade.
DAF seems to be the go-to company for independent coachbuiders to make integral buses. Spanish Irizar uses a DAF engine on their self supporting models.
BTW, Johannes, are Caetano coaches a frequent sight in the Netherlands? It’s the biggest coachbuider of my country.
Caetano coaches are very rare here, no official importer as far as I know. I can’t remember ever seeing one.
I did some searching, around 2004/2005 23 of these MAN-Caetano public transport buses were bought by Connexxion (photo courtesey of Michiel van Dijk).
Regarding coaches, the most common brands these days are VDL, VanHool, Setra and Neoplan.
They seem to be very popular in the UK. Attached is their current flagship, the Winner. Alongside the Irizar PB it is the most popular long term coach in Portugal. The UK version is called Levante.
Setra and Neoplan are mostly used in VIP touring companies. That is, the new ones. There was a black period in the bus sector and a lot of Setra 300 and Mercedes buses/coaches were purchased used in Germany and the Netherlands and put into service here.
There are some in Israel too (pic: Gabriel Turjemann).
Great photos and article Johannes. A very attractive and advanced design for the early 80s. And a preview of what many modern LRT trains would look like.
Super piece of enlightenment for me living in The U.S. Thanks Johannes. We have not seen this beautiful bus here. It is interesting that road speed for buses in Europe is limited. That must help keep the accidents to a minimum, unlike here where we have over-the-road bus drivers who will take advantage of the maximum speed of the bus and endanger the lives of other motorists and the passengers in the bus. This is a stunning design inside and out, neat, clean and functional.
Very interesting — I’ve never heard of Bova before, which is hardly surprising. Looks like a very comfortable and advanced coach, but the pregnant-bulge nose looks like it was grafted on from a different design concept!
Wow….very long front overhang!
Something about weight distribution and maneuverability.
Thanks Johannes, I wasn’t aware of the Bova – it most certainly is a modern looking, attractive coach. Must have been quite the eye-catcher in 1982. Nice airy interior too. Jim.
1982! Aged so well, and as you say, still a very common sight.
Does the taller version have more headroom or more boot space, or a bit of both?
Yeek! It looks 9-1/2 months pregnant.
Thank you for another very interesting article.
Are DAF engines still descended from the Leyland 0.680?
Also, do you know if tthe Scania 110/111 engines and Polish Jelcz were related the the 680?
Thanks!
The Leyland O.680 is the starting point for big DAF (and thus PACCAR) diesels for sure. It was first license built by DAF, in the late sixties it morphed into DAF’s own 11.6 liter engine (the DAF 1160 range of diesels, turbodiesels and turbo/intercooling-diesels).
In 1997, the good ol’ -and permanently updated- 11.6 liter was superseded by a newly developed 12.6 liter inline-six. That engine evolved in the 12.9 liter PACCAR MX-13, which was introduced in 2004. Currently still in charge.
As far as I know, Scania only turned to Leyland for their direct injection system, but that’s as far as the Leyland-Scania connection goes.
Leyland & Jelcz? Sorry, I’ve no idea.
Thank you. Your coverage of Europe is very interesting.
The Jelcz connections was a word of mouth story from British bus drivers, on a trip to Poland.
Those Paccar engines go well I like em i DAFS they will lug like a CAT unless you have the automatic which has a repertoire of tricks for the unwary.
This is a beautiful bus which we had no idea about in the U.S.! Thank you.