History of Optare

Bus builder Optare was formed by some of its employees in 1984 after the closure of old-established coachbuilder Chas H. Roe at Crossgates, Leeds. After establishing itself as a ‘new company’ and introducing a new product range – initially in the minibus field – it purchased the designs of Birmingham-based MCW when that concern took the decision to cease bus building. After being acquired by Dutch...