Deluxe Coachlines
| Founded | December 1979 |
|---|---|
| Ceased operation | November 1990 |
| Headquarters | Wangaratta |
| Service area | Adelaide Brisbane Canberra Darwin Melbourne Perth Sydney various regional destinations |
| Service type | Coach services |
| Fleet | circa 200 (September 1990) |
Deluxe Coachlines was an Australian interstate coach operator.
History
Deluxe Coachlines was formed in 1979. It gradually expanded and by 1988 was Australia's largest coach operator with a 50% market share operating across the country with nearly 200 coaches.[1] A drop off in demand after World Expo 88 as well as the arrival of deregulated discount airlines, seen the demise of the Company. The failure to reduce its size to match a fall in revenue saw Deluxe placed in receivership in September 1990.[2]
Operations briefly resumed out of Adelaide in November 1990 before Deluxe ceased for good.[3]
Fleet
Deluxe built up a large fleet of Domino and Austral Tourmaster coaches. It later purchased coaches from Denning, MotorCoach Australia and Setra.[4] Deluxe adopted a white with two shades of blue livery that was a familiar sight on Australia's road for many years after its demise courtesy of the number of operators who elected not to repaint former Deluxe coaches they purchased.
Legacy
The Deluxe Coachlines name was revived in the 2000s by a Melbourne coach operator.[5]
References
- ^ "Victorian Buses in the Eighties" Australian Bus Panorama 7/1 August 1991 page 3
- ^ "Express Coach Companies in Major Rationalisation" Australian Bus Panorama 6/3 October 1990 page 18
- ^ "Deluxe Australia" Australian Bus Panorama 6/5 January 1991 page 35
- ^ Fleet Overview Deluxe Coachlines Reunion
- ^ Hawkesford's International Bus Australia Fleet Lists