SODERTALJE, Sweden, Nov. 05, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sales of Scania buses in Italy, one of Europe's largest bus markets, continue to be healthy, with Scania securing an increasing market share. "During the last couple of weeks in October, we sold 102 buses for city and intercity operations to four customers," says Henry Jonsson, Managing Director of Scania Bus Italy.
The two largest deals cover 42 city buses in Lecce and 26 intercity buses in Sardegna.
Scania's bus operations in Italy have resulted in considerably enhanced sales over the past few years. Last year, Italy became Scania's third- largest bus market, with 350 buses sold there.
"It is in the city and intercity bus segments in particular that we have boosted our presence," says Henry Jonsson.
The majority of the buses in the four most recent sales are built on the Scania intercity bus chassis and feature bodies built by Italy's De Simon and Irizar of Spain. These are two bodybuilders with whom Scania has long enjoyed close cooperation.
Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 28,200 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 2002, turnover totalled SEK 47,000 million and the result after financial items was SEK 3,700 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and some 95 percent of Scania's vehicles are sold outside Sweden. Bus chassis production takes place in Sweden, Brazil and Mexico. Bodybuilding takes place in Sweden, Poland and Russia.
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