VDL Berkhof
VDL Berkhof was a Dutch bus and coach manufacturer that grew from a small repair workshop into an international builder and later became part of VDL Bus & Coach.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
VDL Berkhof traces its origins to Berkhof Groep, a Dutch bus and coach business established in 1970 by Arthur Berkhof and his son Henk. The company began on a modest scale, with ten employees working in a 1,000-square-metre facility. During its first eighteen months, its activities were limited to bus repairs, giving the business practical experience in vehicle maintenance and the commercial-vehicle market before it moved into larger-scale manufacturing. The company expanded substantially during the 1980s. In 1985 it relocated to a new 10,000-square-metre factory in Valkenswaard, and its workforce had reached 132 employees. A further 10,000 square metres were added to the factory in 1989. That expansion, together with the acquisition of Hainje, increased production capacity to approximately 350 vehicles per year. The business developed a portfolio that covered public-service buses, coaches, articulated vehicles and specialized transit products, including low-floor articulated trolleybuses. A major step in the group's development came in 1994, when it acquired Jonckheere, a Belgian bus and coach manufacturer. Jonckheere had reported annual sales of about 400 vehicles and employed approximately 500 people at the time of the acquisition. The combination brought the Berkhof organization to around 1,200 employees and extended its industrial and geographic reach. In 1997, the corporate name was changed from Berkhof Groep to Berkhof Jonckheere Groep, reflecting the importance of the Belgian business within the enlarged group. VDL Groep acquired the company in 1998. Under VDL ownership, the Berkhof name continued to be associated with buses and coaches, while the activities were progressively integrated into the wider VDL bus organization. In 2010, Berkhof was subsumed into VDL Bus & Coach, ending its existence as a separately organized group. The VDL Berkhof designation therefore represents both a later phase of the Berkhof business and a historical manufacturing identity within the VDL portfolio rather than an independent contemporary bus maker. The company's documented vehicle work included the Ambassador, Axial, Eclipse, Excellence and other bus and coach ranges. It also built low-floor articulated trolleybuses for public transport systems in Arnhem in the Netherlands and Solingen in Germany. These projects illustrate Berkhof's involvement not only in conventional coaches and city buses but also in electric public-transport equipment. After integration into VDL Bus & Coach, the historical Berkhof operations and product identities were absorbed into the parent group's broader bus and coach activities.
History
Berkhof Groep was founded in the Netherlands in 1970 by Arthur Berkhof and his son Henk. It initially operated as a small bus-repair business, employing ten people in a 1,000-square-metre factory. For its first eighteen months, the company concentrated on repairs rather than new-vehicle production. The business entered a period of industrial expansion during the 1980s. It moved to a new 10,000-square-metre facility in Valkenswaard in 1985, when employment had grown to 132 people. In 1989, the factory was enlarged by another 10,000 square metres. The acquisition of Hainje helped raise annual production capacity to approximately 350 vehicles. Berkhof subsequently developed a range of buses and coaches and took on projects for public transport operators. In 1994, Berkhof acquired Jonckheere, a Belgian bus and coach builder with approximately 500 employees and annual sales of around 400 vehicles. The transaction expanded the group to roughly 1,200 employees. The company adopted the name Berkhof Jonckheere Groep in 1997, formally recognizing the combined business. VDL Groep acquired Berkhof Jonckheere Groep in 1998. The Berkhof name continued within VDL's bus operations, including the VDL Berkhof designation. In 2010, the organization was incorporated into VDL Bus & Coach, ending its status as a separate group. Its legacy includes the Ambassador, Axial, Eclipse and Excellence families, as well as low-floor articulated trolleybuses supplied for Arnhem in the Netherlands and Solingen in Germany.
- 2010
Integration into VDL Bus & Coach
[1]The former Berkhof organization is subsumed into VDL Bus & Coach.
- 1998
Acquisition by VDL Groep
[1]VDL Groep purchases the Berkhof Jonckheere organization.
- 1997
Name changes to Berkhof Jonckheere Groep
[1]The company changes its name to reflect the combined Dutch and Belgian operation.
- 1994
Jonckheere is acquired
[1]The group acquires Belgian bus and coach builder Jonckheere, bringing total employment to approximately 1,200.
- 1989
Factory expansion and Hainje acquisition
[1]An additional 10,000 square metres are added to the factory, while the Hainje acquisition contributes to production capacity of about 350 vehicles annually.
- 1985
Relocation to a larger Valkenswaard factory
[1]Berkhof moves into a new 10,000-square-metre facility in Valkenswaard.
- 1970
Berkhof Groep is founded
[1]Arthur Berkhof and Henk Berkhof establish the Dutch bus and coach business.
- 1970
The business begins with bus repairs
[1]During its first eighteen months, the company focuses on repairing buses rather than manufacturing new vehicles.
Products and positioning
A Dutch bus and coach manufacturer serving public transport and intercity or touring markets, with capabilities spanning vehicle repair, body and vehicle production, coach development and articulated trolleybuses.
Low-floor bus
Ambassador
The Ambassador was one of the principal bus models associated with the Berkhof product portfolio. It belonged to the company's public-transport offering and represented Berkhof's work in practical bus designs for scheduled service operations. Detailed technical specifications and production dates are not established by the supplied reference material.
Coach
Axial
The Axial family was a Berkhof coach range offered in several numbered forms, including the Axial 50, Axial 70 and Axial 100 DD. The model names indicate a broader coach portfolio rather than a single vehicle specification. The supplied material does not provide verified launch dates or detailed operating specifications.
Bus or coach
Eclipse
Eclipse was a vehicle model associated with Berkhof's historical bus and coach output. It formed part of the company's range before the business was integrated into VDL Bus & Coach. The available reference does not specify the precise body configuration, powertrain or market positioning.
Coach
Excellence
The Excellence line included the Excellence 500, Excellence 1000, Excellence 2000 HL/HLE and Excellence 3000. It was one of the better-known historical Berkhof coach families and demonstrates the company's emphasis on intercity and touring vehicles. The supplied source does not establish individual launch years or technical differences between variants.
Trolleybus
Low-floor articulated trolleybuses
Berkhof built low-floor articulated trolleybuses for public transport systems in Arnhem, Netherlands, and Solingen, Germany. These vehicles extended the company's activities beyond conventional diesel buses and coaches into electrically supplied urban transit equipment. Specific fleet quantities and model designations are not provided in the reference material.
Brand decisions
2010
Integrate Berkhof into VDL Bus & CoachStrategyBackground
VDL consolidated its bus and coach activities after owning the Berkhof organization for more than a decade.
Action taken
The Berkhof organization was subsumed into VDL Bus & Coach.
Aftermath
VDL Berkhof ceased to operate as a separately organized group, while its historical products and manufacturing legacy became part of VDL's broader bus business.
1998
Sell the group to VDL GroepM&ABackground
Following its expansion under the Berkhof Jonckheere structure, the company became part of a larger industrial group.
Action taken
VDL Groep acquired Berkhof Jonckheere Groep.
Aftermath
Berkhof continued as a VDL bus and coach identity before its organization was ultimately subsumed by VDL Bus & Coach in 2010.
1994
Acquire JonckheereM&ABackground
Berkhof sought to expand its bus and coach manufacturing base and international presence through the purchase of Belgian manufacturer Jonckheere.
Action taken
The group acquired Jonckheere, whose operations included approximately 500 employees and annual sales of about 400 vehicles.
Aftermath
The enlarged organization employed approximately 1,200 people and adopted the Berkhof Jonckheere Groep name in 1997.
Recent events
- 2010
Berkhof activities are integrated into VDL Bus & Coach[1]
Other
The former Berkhof organization was subsumed by VDL Bus & Coach and ceased operating as a separately organized group.
- 1998
VDL Groep acquires Berkhof Jonckheere Groep[1]
M&A
VDL Groep bought the Berkhof Jonckheere organization, bringing the bus and coach manufacturer into the VDL group.
- 1997
Berkhof Groep adopts the Berkhof Jonckheere Groep name[1]
Other
The company changed its name after the integration of Jonckheere into the group.
- 1994
Berkhof Groep acquires Jonckheere[1]
M&A
The Dutch bus and coach group acquired Belgian manufacturer Jonckheere, expanding its workforce and manufacturing footprint.
Sources1 sources
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