Designs, patents and the aftersales support unit of failed Spanish coachbuilder Sunsundegui have been put up for public auction, a process that the sales handler says opens the door to a potential restart of production and development of the SB3, SC5 and SC7 ranges.
Sunsundegui entered liquidation in April 2025 after several periods of financial difficulty. Administrators have now placed its “most valuable intellectual and operational assets” for auction via three lots as part of their work. The builder’s UK products were mounted on Volvo chassis.
Sales management company Surus, which is handling the disposals, says that will enable Sunsundegui technical and commercial knowledge to continue under new management. Included is the brand identity in the EU and the UK alongside patents for the models concerned and what is described as a profitable aftersales unit.
The auction, via platform Escrapalia, is split into three lots: brands and digital assets; patents and industrial property; and the aftersales unit. For the SB3, SC5 and SC7 coach ranges, the winner will gain all technical drawings to enable integration of those designs into production lines “immediately,” it is claimed.
That includes designs for the protected exterior and interior aesthetics of the coach bodies and safety structures; patents for anchoring systems and structures certified to safety standards such as R66 rollover protection; and freedom of operation via assets with no financial encumbrance.
Also within auction lots are the Sunsundegui logo and corporate digital domains. The buyer will get “assets with full guarantees of validity, including a commitment to provide renewed title deeds for a 10-year cycle, ensuring an uninterrupted brand presence in the continent’s most demanding markets,” Surus adds.
The aftersales unit is described as “a revenue generating business unit from day one” and would support thousands of Sunsundegui-bodied vehicles in Europe.
Continues Surus: “The acquisition of these intangible assets represents an opportunity for vertical or horizontal expansion for bus manufacturers, electric mobility companies or aftersales groups.” Further information is available via the Escrapalia website.
At one stage, Sunsundegui had planned to assemble 9700 single-deck and 9900 coach bodies for Volvo after the Swedish chassis manufacturer ended its own body operations in a move that was subsequently abandoned.
Collapse of the Spanish manufacturer saw the loss of around 340 jobs. That followed an end to negotiations with potential investor Dumarey Group, which also owns Mellor and Treka Bus. Ultimately, Dumarey did not make a binding offer for Sunsundegui.
