NZ Motor Bodies was established as Munt, Cotterell, Neilsen and Company Ltd in 1926, but the name was changed to NZ Motor Bodies in 1937. The business was situated in Petone until 1978 when operations shifted to Palmerston North. In 1983 the business again changed its name, to Coachwork International Limited. It was by then the largest builder of buses and coaches in New Zealand. The new Palmerston North NZ Motor Bodies plant, here under construction covered an area of 18,000 square metres. This gantry crane, being lifted into position, was 21 metres high and was used to transport buses within the plant over other work on the production line.