Optare Agora Line

Agora Line logo used in banner image by flexingflex1224 on Wikimedia commons, used under Creative Commons licencing. Changes were made to the image to change black text to white for readability. The Optare Agora Line is a full-size bus based on the Irisbus product of the same name, designed in a right-hand drive format for the UK market. In 1995, Renault unveiled the Agora at the UITP Congress in Paris. It was designed to secure Renault's hegemony in French cities while opening export markets. It was a largely successful type, with 11,000 units produced during it's lifespan across the range of versions. The turning point for the Agora, and the catalyst for its eventual arrival in the UK, was the formation of Irisbus in 1999. This joint venture merged the bus and coach divisions of Renault V. I. and Iveco, creating the second-largest bus manufacturer in Europe at the time. Meanwhile, Optare was one of the UK’s most respected bus manufacturers. Based in Cross Gates, Leeds, the company had built a reputation for style and innovation. However, it was in need of a new heavy-duty product for it's range, and the Agora Line offered both parties an opportunity to bring a proven, mass-produced platform to the UK market. The bodyshells would be produced by Irisbus in France, before being shipped over to Optare who would fit out the interiors with a design based on their previous Excel range. 23 total units were built between 2002 and 2007, primarily for Norse for Park & Ride services in Norwich, though some were also built for Carousel as well as a handful of smaller operators. The majority of the Agora's would later pass to Norfolk Green, before being disposed of following the purchase of the company by Stagecoach. Following the introduction of the Tempo and the replacement of the Agora with the Citelis range, there was little incentive to continue a partnership that was already struggling to provide a competitive product. This mod depicts an Optare Agora Line in a single door