Mellor Coachcraft

A Mellor-bodied Mercedes-Benz Vario operated by Chesterfield Community Transport

Mellor was founded in the 1960s by Tom Mellor with a factory in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Initially, Mellor specialised in providing bodywork for commercial vehicles including ambulances, before later moving into minibus manufacturing.[2] Following a period of growth spurred on by the move into the minibus market, Mellor moved into a new purpose-built factory in Miall Street, Rochdale which they still occupy today.[3]

Throughout the 'minibus revolution' of the 1980s in the United Kingdom, Mellor provided bodies for a number of different chassis, with a large number of deliveries going to Transit Holdings and their various subsidiaries.[3][4][5]

In 1989, the company was sold by Henlys Group to Plaxton.[6] In February 1992, the company's assets were transferred to a new entity, Deckglade Limited, in preparation for a management buyout by the Woodall Nicholson Group that was completed in May 1992, with the company name reverting to Mellor Coachcraft in July 2003.[1][7] Success was found in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a bodywork for the low-floor Iveco Daily chassis, with a capacity of between 16 and 25 passengers; fitted with an optional rear lift, the body was popular with the early access bus market. Later, bodywork was launched for the Fiat Ducato, Ford Transit and Mercedes-Benz T2, Vario and Sprinter chassis, with many minibuses being sold to local authorities in the access bus market.

Mellor purchased rival minibus manufacturer Bluebird Vehicles in July 2014, after the latter company had entered administration, taking over manufacture of their successful Fiat Ducato-based Orion and Volkswagen Transporter-based Tucana minibuses.[8][9] Mellor later launched the updated Tucana II and an updated version of the Orion, sharing features with a number of Mellor's own products.[10]

In 2016, Mellor launched the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Strata minibus, with a capacity of up to 22 seated passengers.[11][12] The Strata has sold well in the market of the United Kingdom's 'second minibus revolution' of the mid to late 2010s, winning orders from a number of operators including Arriva North West[13][14] and Bus Vannin.

The Strata was followed by the Maxima on high-floor Iveco Daily chassis, aimed at local authorities for the access bus and community transport markets, with a capacity of up to eight wheelchairs or 30 seated passengers.[15] In August 2017, Mellor signed a distributorship arrangement deal in Germany and Austria with E-Vade as part of plans to expand into the mainland European market.[16]

On 1 November 2017, Mellor's owner Woodall Nicholson Holdings completed the purchase of the Villmount Group, which owns rival UK-based minibus manufacturer Treka Bus. Mellor and Treka Bus will continue to trade separately as Woodall Nicholson subsidiaries.[17]