Coach and bus vehicle and finance supplier Mistral Group has a new string to its bow: Mistral Specialist Vehicles. That business supplies accessible minibuses to customers including local authorities, operators and community transport organisations on medium- to long-term hire and it is also active in the patient transport segment.
Mistral Specialist Vehicles sits alongside well-established sister undertakings Mistral Bus and Coach and Mistral Asset Finance. Its creation is part of significant growth across the past two years at the group. Those three business units work closely with The Bus Shop, which is also part of Mistral.
As an example of the collaborative approach, minibuses supplied by the specialist vehicles arm can be funded by the asset finance unit; the latter now has over 30 lenders on hand and two full-time salespeople after a bout of sustained expansion.
Meanwhile, vehicles that return off-hire from customers can be placed with next users by The Bus Shop. In the specialist vehicles area, that approach may be of interest to community transport customers that do not require a new accessible vehicle, Mistral believes.
Helen Ross leads the latest venture as Group Director – Specialist Vehicles. She brings many years of experience in the accessible minibus sector, including with manufacturer Treka Bus.
In the new area Mistral has joined a segment that already hosts a number of large players, but Helen believes that there is a growth opportunity via supply of the right vehicles coupled to good customer service.
Venture is based on longstanding relationships
At the core of Mistral Specialist Vehicles’ offering are Treka Bus products in converted and coachbuilt form. That leverages Helen’s knowledge of the Treka offering and recognises the strength of the manufacturer’s presence among local authority users, although Mistral is keen to stress that it is independent and can offer other OEMs’ accessible minibus products as well.
Nevertheless, Mistral Specialist Vehicles has a rolling programme of orders with Treka with stock supplied monthly. Lead times are thus short; the split between converted and coachbuilt minibuses can be moved while retaining scope to customise vehicles.
Accessible minibuses available from other OEMs include the EVM Cityline low-entry model and products from converters including GM Coachwork, Minibus Options and Stanford Coachworks.
In those cases, vehicles would be purchased to order and be placed on longer-term hire. The Treka products are suited to medium- and long-term agreements; where a rolling contract is required by the user, that can be offered. Mistral can also work on the basis where the customer engages with the vehicle converter or manufacturer directly.
Repair and maintenance provision for minibuses placed by Mistral Specialist Vehicles is flexible, Helen explains. Many local authorities prefer to maintain in-house, but if that is not the case, the supplier can make alternative arrangements. Specialist Vehicle Fleet Coordinator Mike Biouki supports customers, including on maintenance needs.
Specialist vehicles close to other work for Mistral
While Helen leads the Mistral Specialist Vehicles operation and expects to add a dedicated salesperson in the south of England soon, the group’s wider sales resource is also active within the business unit. That is part of an approach to leverage crossover with other activities.
For local authority customers, such a position can sit with supply of bigger vehicles. “There are a lot of synergies between specialist vehicles and larger coaches and buses,” says Helen, noting a growing interest among some councils to take delivery of bus services and home-to-school transport in house. Mistral already works with many local authorities that operate their own full-size passenger vehicles.
Also recognised by the supplier is the growing interest around zero-emission. Its asset finance arm has already funded infrastructure and vehicles in that field on the bus side, including the autonomous Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEVs being delivered for use in Cambridge.
Mistral Specialist Vehicles would consider enquiries around battery-electric minibuses, Helen confirms, although she notes that residual values – key to the figures in a hire arrangement – currently have little certainty.
M1 category electric minibuses have good availability from vehicle suppliers, but those above 5,000kg GVW are not as plentiful, she cautions. “But we are still willing to talk about electric.”
Key to success for Mistral Specialist Vehicles is raising awareness of its product offer in the accessible minibus market. “We are a new venture and a new brand, but Mistral is not a new business,” says Helen. “Growth has come faster than we anticipated, and we hope that will continue.”
London Borough of Havering an early customer for minibuses
The London Borough of Havering quickly became a client of Mistral Specialist Vehicles, taking delivery of five 16-seat coachbuilt Treka Mobility+ accessible minibuses in mid-2024.
Transport Contracts Manager Ian Dunsdon (pictured above, right) says the service level delivered has long been impressive, with the local authority having worked with Mistral on larger vehicles for some time.
Mistral Specialist Vehicles provided what it calls a tailored leasing solution for the Mobility+ fleet, created specific to Havering’s needs. Helen notes how that involved changing the standard rental vehicle specification to meet the user’s requirement.
“Treka has consistently delivered vehicles that meet our high standards for comfort and reliability. The Mobility+ buses will undoubtedly enhance our services, providing greater flexibility and accessibility for our community,” Ian adds.
