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Prevost (bus manufacturer)

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Prevost
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1924
HeadquartersSainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada
Key people
François Tremblay (president)[1]
ProductsCoaches
RV (Conversion Shells)
ParentVolvo Buses (1995–present)
Websiteprevostcar.com

Prevost (/ˈpreɪvoʊ/, French pronunciation: [pʁevo]), formally known as Prevost Car, is a Canadian manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. The company is a subsidiary of the Volvo Buses division of the Volvo Group.[2]

History

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Early years (1924–1951)

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Place Eugène Prévost in Sainte-Claire

Prevost Car was founded in 1924 by Eugène Prévost (1898–1965), a cabinet maker specializing in church pews and school furniture, who in 1924 was asked to build a custom bus body for a new REO truck chassis.[3]: 1924  Prévost's company received several repeat orders, but Prévost limited production to one bus body per winter.[4] Between 1937 and 1939, its first bus manufacturing plant was built in Sainte-Claire, Quebec,[1][3]: 1937  with a capacity of ten vehicle bodies per year.[4] Initially the vehicles were built with metal panels over a wooden frame. In 1945 this changed, and body panels and frames were made of metal.[3]: 1945 

In 1943, the company was awarded a large contract to build buses for the Defence Ministry of Canada.[3]: 1943  After the war, the company resumed commercial sales in 1948 as Les Ateliers Prévost, and established vertically integrated manufacturing facilities with a foundry, die-casting, plating, and other metal and woodworking shops for bus fabrication;[3]: 1948  it was awarded another large contract for 100 motorcoaches from the government of Canada in 1951;[3]: 1951  for the commercial intercity coach market, the company marketed the Interurbain and Prévocar in four different sizes.[4] At about the same time, Prevost also was building city transit buses, marketed as the Citadin.[5] Eugène Prévost served as the president from its founding in 1924 until 1957;[1] production exceeded 100 vehicles per year in 1949, 1950, and 1952, making it the largest Canadian builder of intercity coaches;[4] however, production crashed to just three buses in 1956.[6]

Normand era (1957–1995)

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The company was acquired by Paul Normand in 1957, who renamed the company to Prevost Car.[3]: 1957  Prevost dealerships were opened in America and Canada starting in 1967.[3]: 1967  Normand served as president until 1968, when he was succeeded by André Normand, who served as president until 1995.[1] In 1969, two American businessmen, Thomas B. Harbison and William G. Campbell, formed a partnership with André Normand and the three jointly become the company's owners. These three men, in turn, sold Prevost to Volvo Bus Corporation and Henlys Group in 1995.[3]: 1969 [7]

Under the Normands, Prevost Car introduced the LeNormand in 1957, an intercity coach with modern features including stainless steel side panels, pneumatic suspension, and a diesel engine.[6] In 1961, Prevost Car introduced the Travelair, a 25-foot gas and diesel-powered passenger coach for short trips, and replaced the LeNormand in 1962 with the Panoramique, a 40-foot intercity coach which served Grey Goose Bus Lines.[3]: 1961 [8] This was succeeded by the Champion (1966),[3]: 1967  which had an integrated frame[8] and competed with the GM Buffalo bus. A transit bus version of the Panoramique was developed and sold with a dedicated body featuring a rear door, but this version was discontinued in 1968 when the company shifted to market exclusively motorcoaches.[9] An upgraded version of the Champion was introduced in 1968 with taller side windows, rounded at the top,[8] and this model was renamed Le Prestige in 1973.[3]: 1968  For the Class A motorhome market, Prevost began selling Champion conversion shells to upfitters starting in 1970.[3]: 1970 

Prevost LeMirage with "panoramic" side windows

The Champion/Prestige line was succeeded by the LeMirage in 1977,[3]: 1977  which also were sold as conversion shells starting in 1978.[3]: 1978 [10] Le Prestige production stopped in 1981.[3]: 1968  After expanding the factory in 1980,[3]: 1980  wide-body versions, at the contemporary North American coach standard width of 102 in (2,600 mm), were introduced as the XL Series in 1984, including the LeMirage XL, Marathon XL, and Astral XL;[3]: 1984  the Marathon XL was marketed as an economical model for intercity routes, while the Astral XL was marketed to tour bus operators, with glass roof panels.[11] A long-wheelbase XL was introduced in 1992 with a nominal 45-foot length, the XL-45 Entertainer,[3]: 1992  and a similar premium touring coach was introduced in 1994, the LeMirage XL-45.[3]: 1995 [12]

One year after the XL buses debuted, in 1985, Prevost introduced the H5-60, an articulated bus, at the annual meeting of the American Bus Association; this was the first model in what would become the H-Series.[3]: 1985  Starting in 1989, Prevost added rigid body models, including the H3-40 (1989),[11] H3-41, and H3-45 (1994).[3]: 1989 [12]

Volvo era (1996–present)

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Georges Bourelle served as the president from 1996 to 2003.[1] Volvo assumed sole ownership of Prevost in 2004,[3]: 2004  and Gaétan Bolduc took over as president until 2015. He was succeeded by François Tremblay, who has been president of Prevost since 2016.[1]

The LeMirage XL-II began production in January 2000.[3]: 2000 [13] For 2006, the XL-II was revised to become the X3-45, which featured a longer wheelbase than its predecessor.[3]: 2006 [13] Beginning in 2011, the Prevost X3-45 was made available in a transit-style configuration as a commuter coach.[14] The New York City Transit Authority was the launch customer for this configuration. Previously, 20 transit-style buses of the Le Mirage predecessor model had been built for GO Transit in the late 1990s. In 2019, the X3-45 was redesigned, getting a new headlight setup and a new rear end.[14] It continues to be available in intercity and transit configurations.

First generation Prevost H3-45 (2013), serving Gray Line Montreal

The H-Series was facelifted in 2002 and again in 2009.[3]: 2004 [13] The H-Series received a new sound system, plus GPS and destination sign options.[citation needed] For the 2024 model year, the H3-45 was redesigned with a new front end and interior facelift.[15]

For the 2008 model year, Prevost introduced the Volvo D13 engine from their parent company as a replacement for the then-current Detroit Diesel Series 60 offering.[14] The Volvo I-Shift semi-automatic transmission was introduced as an alternative to the Allison B500R transmission. A set of new interior color schemes was also introduced.

In 2009, Prevost began distributing the Volvo 9700 coach in Canada and the United States.[3]: 2009 [13]

As of June 2019, Prevost operates 15 parts and service centers in North America, nine of them in the United States.[16]

Models

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Current

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Current motorcoaches sold by Prevost
Photo Model Production Length(s) Configuration(s) Notes

H3-45 (3rd Generation)
 H-Series[17]
[user-generated source] 		1985–present   Intercity Coach Also available as a conversion shell. 147 H5-60s were completed.[11][18]
H3-40
(1989–1994)		 40-ft
H3-41
(1994–unknown)		 41-ft
H3-45
(1994–present)		 45-ft
H5-60
(1985–1992)		 60-ft (artic)

X3-45 (2nd Generation)
 X3-45 2005–present 45 feet Intercity Coach

Transit Coach

2nd generation model introduced in 2019
Also available as a conversion shell

Volvo 9700 (North American Model)
 Volvo 9700[19]
[user-generated source] 		2009–present Intercity Coach Assembled in Mexico by Volvo

Former

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Former motorcoaches sold by Prevost
Photo Model Production Length(s) Configuration(s) Notes

LeMirage XL-II
 LeMirage 1976–2005 40- and 45-ft Intercity coach Replaced by X3-45[20]
Champion 1967–1981 40-foot Intercity coach 41 to 50 passengers
Marathon ? ? Intercity coach 47 to 53 passengers
Prestige 1968–1981 40-foot Sightseeing intercity coach 41 to 50 passengers
Panoramique 1962–1966? ? Intercity coach 41 to 49 passengers
V48-S 1965–? ? Motorcoach
50-PI-33 ? ? Passenger coach
19-S (Travelaire) 1961–1967 19- and 25-ft Transit bus [9]
33-S 1960s ? Passenger motorcoach 33 to 37 passengers
Le Normand 1957–1960 ? Intercity coach
Prévocar 1953 ? Intercity coach
Skycruiser 1948–1949 ? Motorcoach

Suburban intercity model
 Citadin 1948–1959 30- and 35-ft Transit bus 33 to 37 passengers; 96 in (2,400 mm) wide[5]
Interurbain 1943–? ? Motorcoach First rear-engined bus.[21]
Suburbain 1939 ? Motorcoach Last wood-bodied bus.[21]
Motorbus 1924 ? ?

Ground Force One

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Then President Obama boards the "Ground Force One" bus in 2011.
Main article: Ground Force One

Ground Force One is the nickname given to two heavily modified X3-45 VIP conversion coach owned by the United States Secret Service and used by the President of the United States and other high-ranking politicians or dignitaries.[22] Prevost built the coach as a conversion shell, the Hemphill Brothers Coach Company fitted out the interiors of the coach, and it is assumed that other features, like armor plating, were added by the Secret Service.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Generators of innovation: a president's perspective". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Prevost – Passenger coaches and bus shells manufacturer". Archived from the original on 2009-05-16. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "The Value of Heritage: Milestones". Prevost. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d "Eugène Prévost: the bus manufacturer". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  5. ^ a b Brophy, Jim (March 3, 2018). "Bus Stop Classics: 1948–1959 Prevost Citadin Urban Transit Coach: Canadian City Dweller". Curbside Classic. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  6. ^ a b "History Highlights: 1950–1959". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  7. ^ "Prevost – Passenger coaches and bus shells manufacturer". Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  8. ^ a b c "History Highlights: 1960–1969". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  9. ^ a b Brophy, Jim (February 8, 2025). "Bus Stop Classics: Prevost Travel-Aire and S-Series Urban Transit Buses – A Couple of Rare Birds". Curbside Classic. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  10. ^ "History Highlights: 1970–1979". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  11. ^ a b c "History Highlights: 1980–1989". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  12. ^ a b "History Highlights: 1990–1999". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d "History Highlights: 2000–2009". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "History Highlights: 2010–2019". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  15. ^ "History Highlights: 2020–2024". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  16. ^ Prevost Parts & Service Centers (accessed 20 June 2019)
  17. ^ "Prevost Car H-Series – CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  18. ^ Brophy, Jim (December 23, 2022). "Bus Stop Classic: Prevost H5-60 (1988–1992) — The Articulated Highway Coach, Take Three". Curbside Classic. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  19. ^ "Volvo Buses 9700 – CPTDB Wiki". cptdb.ca. Retrieved 2017-02-02.
  20. ^ Brophy, Jim (March 19, 2023). "Bus Stop Classics: 1976–2006 Prevost Le Mirage — It's All In The Windows". Curbside Classic. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  21. ^ a b "History Highlights: 1940–1949". Prevost Car. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  22. ^ CP (17 August 2011). "Obama's Made In Canada Bus, 'Ground Force One', Gets President Criticized". Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via Huff Post.
  23. ^ "Canucklehead Obama bus-ted! (PHOTOS)". nypost.com. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
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