SOR

SOR Libchavy s.r.o. (ltd.) is a Czech manufacturer of buses for urban, intercity and tourist transport, it also participates in the production of trolleybuses. It is based in Dolní Libchavy near Ústí nad Orlicí. The abbreviation SOR comes from the original name of the company before privatization: "Sdružení opravárenství a rozvoje" (Association of Repair and Development). The production of buses was introduced here by Jaroslav Trnka, former director of Karosa Vysoké Mýto, and his team.

Until 1990, the company produced and repaired agricultural machinery - forage wagons, silage harvesters, forage tedders, mountain mini-tractors and many other machines. In 1991, privatization took place and the company gradually reoriented its production to construction equipment - caravans and scaffolding. At the same time, development of a brandnew line of buses started and soon went into production, which was initially subsidized from the export profit of the aforementioned construction equipment. The first prototype was completed in 1993 and the first bus was sold in 1994.

SOR focuses on the cost-efficient production of low-cost buses, designed primarily for former Eastern bloc markets, and on a wide range of different sizes of buses (the offer includes lengths of 8.5 m, 9.5 m, 10.5 m, 12 m, 13.5 m and an articulated 18 m model). Gradually, gas buses, electric buses, hybrid buses and trolleybuses were introduced. Cheap production is achieved by a maximum unification of parts, modules and construction, wide use of plastics, specific technological procedures, etc. and operating costs are kept at a minimum by lower vehicle weight.