Binz (vehicles)

Last updated
Binz GmbH & Co. KG & BINZ Ambulance- und Umwelttechnik GmbH
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1936 (1936) [1]
FounderMichael Binz
Headquarters
Ilmenau
,
Germany
ProductsSpecial vehicles for emergency services, fire trucks, police vehicles, civil protection authorities
Number of employees
500
Website http://www.binz.com/

Binz GmbH & Co. KG is a coachbuilder and custom vehicle manufacturer. It manufacturers ambulances, [2] firetrucks, police cars and other emergency-service vehicles as well as modified military vehicles. [3] It also produces other custom vehicles such as vehicles for the handicapped, [4] limousines and hearses mainly on a Mercedes-Benz platform. [5] [6]

Contents

History

While working for Daimler as a coachbuilder, Michael Binz came up with the idea of extending a Mercedes limousine destined for German Emperor Wilhelm II. He would continue to work for other German coachbuilders, including Karosserie Baur. In 1936, Binz founded his own coachbuilding company Lorcher Karosseriefabrik BINZ & Co. The company was located in Lorch, Germany, as a continuation of the former wagon factory 'Wagenfabrik Konrad Hörger'. By 1939, Binz employed around 100 workers, producing bodies for Mercedes-Benz L3000 trucks. [7]

After the war, Binz produced bodies for Gutbrod and Steyr-Puch cars, for Südwerke  [ de ] trucks and a crew cab variant of the VW T1. In 1955 Binz started production of ambulances based on the Mercedes-Benz Ponton. Binz also produced bodies for the NSU/Fiat Weinsberg 500 and Weidner 70 S  [ de ]. [7] Between 1954 and 1958 they produced the Binz scooter. [8] [7]

Production of ambulances continued on Mercedes-Benz W110 and later on W115, as well as on Opel Rekord, Ford Transit and Range Rover basis. In 2009, Binz became an official OEM for vehicles built on the VF212 platform, a stretched version of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212). [7] [9]

In 2012 the RMA Group acquired the assets of Binz Ilmenau to continue its operation as BINZ Ambulance- und Umwelttechnik GmbH. [10] In 2019, Binz was liquidated following insolvency procedures. [11] The UK based Woodall Nicholson Group acquired Binz the same year. [12]

In 2021 Binz took over the MAN factory in Plauen, Germany, former site of Ikarus and Neoplan bus production. [13] [14]

References

  1. ↑ Der Wirtschaftsraum Ostwürttemberg, Oldenburg 1992, ISBN   3-88363-100-0
  2. ↑ Jane's airport equipment Publisher Jane's Pub. Co., 1983 p.197 p.198 p.644
  3. ↑ Jane's international defense review: IDR., Volume 38 p.8 Author Jane's Information Group Publisher Jane's Information Group, 2005
  4. ↑ Medical device register, Volume 3 Authors Directory Systems, Inc, United States. Food and Drug Administration Publisher DSI, 2000 Original from the University of California ISBN   1-56363-349-3, ISBN   978-1-56363-349-2 p.578
  5. ↑ "Binz limousine". Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  6. ↑ "Binz hearse". Archived from the original on 2013-05-25. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Binz 75 years (PDF). Binz.
  8. ↑ Binz article by Gerry Frederics
  9. ↑ Taylor, James (2021-03-22). Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115: The Complete Story. The Crowood Press. ISBN   978-1-78500-825-2.
  10. ↑ Company announcement by RMA Group
  11. ↑ "Schock: Binz wird liquidiert". www.schwaebische-post.de (in German). 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  12. ↑ "Woodall Nicholson makes acquisitions as part of international expansion - Private Equity Wire". 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  13. ↑ Roller, Johannes (2021-03-12). "Standort gerettet: BINZ übernimmt MAN-Werk Plauen". Eurotransport (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  14. ↑ "MAN: 100 Jahre Busproduktion in Plauen". Bustreff.de - Busmagazin (in German). 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2025-08-13.
  15. ↑ "Beerdigung Queen Elizabeth II.: Nobel-Leichenwagen von der Ostalb für die Queen: Das ist die Geschichte dahinter". www.swp.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-08-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.