Thomas Dennis SLF200 at
Morgan Boulevard station in March 2005 In 1999, Thomas Dennis was formed as a joint venture between
Thomas Built Buses of the United States (51%) and
Dennis of England (49%). If manufactured a version of the
Dennis Dart, engineered for the North American market, in a new facility located in
Greensboro, North Carolina. The SLF200 was reengineered in 2002 to use a
Mercedes-Benz engine and electrics. Dennis had hoped to develop a 40 ft transit bus, but instead
DaimlerChrysler subsequently bought
Orion Bus Industries. As a result, Mayflower terminated the joint venture, selling its 49 per cent interest to partner DaimlerChrysler. Mayflower stated it wanted to concentrate on double-deckers, citing the success of their double-decker fleets in New York and Vancouver. Thomas Dennis was renamed DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America in 2003. In 2007 the company changed its name from DaimlerChrysler Commercial Buses North America to Daimler Buses North America after Daimler-Benz and Chrysler Corporation Demerged and parted ways when Daimler-Benz sold the Chrysler Corporation to Cerberus Capital Management. ==Models==