The Blue Bird Corporation (originally known as the Blue Bird Body Company) is an American bus manufacturer headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. Best known for as a manufacturer of school buses, the company has also manufactured a wide variety of other bus types, including transit buses, motorhomes, and specialty vehicles such as mobile libraries and mobile police command centers. Currently, Blue Bird concentrates its product lineup on school and activity buses and specialty vehicle derivatives.
After company founder A.L. Luce produced a steel-panel school bus in his auto dealership in 1927, he started production of bus bodies exclusively in 1932, founding Blue Bird Body Company in Fort Valley, Georgia. Remaining under family control into the early 1990s, the company changed hands several times in the 2000s and became publicly owned in February 2015, with previous owner Cerberus Capital Management holding a 58% share of the company.
Video Blue Bird Corporation
History
1927-1945: The Change to Steel
As the second quarter of the 20th century began, Albert Luce Sr. was one of the entrepreneurs of the period who transitioned from building wagons to developing some of the earliest purpose-built school buses. What is now Blue Bird Corporation began life as a side project in a Ford Motor Company dealership in Perry, Georgia. Along with the dealership in Perry, Luce owned the Ford franchise in Fort Valley, Georgia, a rural farming community south of Macon.
In 1925, Luce had sold a customer a Ford Model T with a wooden bus body; the customer sought to use the bus to transport his workers. Due to a combination of unsatisfactory construction quality of the bus body and the rough conditions of the rural Georgia roads, the wooden bus body started to disintegrate before the customer had finished paying for the vehicle. Driven to produce an improved design to sell to his customers, Luce sought input to develop a stronger bus body capable of surviving unimproved roads. In place of wood, Luce constructed his bus body from steel and sheetmetal; wood was used as a secondary material. Completed in 1927, the bus was put into use as a school bus.
While buses would initially remain a side project for Luce (with only 9 bus bodies produced between 1929 and 1931), the onset of the Great Depression would make a change in his company forever. Following a 95% decline in car sales in 1931, Luce sold both of his Ford dealerships, using the $12,000 proceeds from the sale to begin his own company, concentrating solely on bus production. Inspired to begin production in order to support the local economy, Luce also felt school buses would be a necessary resource as part of the shift towards consolidated schools.
The early use of farm wagons on a part-time basis soon evolved into purpose-built school bus products, each with economy and function as major priorities. In 1937, the company began production of full-steel bus bodies, an innovation which soon replaced the wooden bodies which were then in common use around the United States. In a 1939 conference, Blue Bird engineers helped to develop the color school bus yellow, which is still in use today.
During World War II, bus production was largely diverted to the armed forces, with Blue Bird producing buses and mobile ambulances. Due to rationing of steel, company engineers were forced to re-engineer several body assemblies to minimize use of steel. By the end of the war, increased bus production led Blue Bird school buses to come into use in many school districts in the Southern US outside of Georgia.
1945-1960: Post-war transition
Following World War II, the configuration of schools throughout the United States continued to change. In rural communities, school districts transitioned away from schoolhouses towards centralized schools (sharing the graded class structures of urban schools) while urban populations moved into suburbs. Depending on location, the previous practice of walking to school had become increasingly impractical, particularly as students progressed into high school. In both rural and suburban school districts, the addition of the baby-boom generation lead to a new demand for school transportation.
Near the end of 1945, the company suffered a major setback, as its Fort Valley factory was destroyed by fire (nearly claiming the life of A.L. Luce). While the factory building was burned to the ground, a significant amount of equipment was salvaged along with a number of buses on the assembly line. As a result, production was started on a makeshift assembly line on other company property, with some work completed under tents. While building materials were no longer rationed (as World War II had ended), the ability to secure large quantities of building material remained a challenge. However, by the spring of 1946, the rebuilt factory was completed, with production of buses resumed.
In the post-war period, Blue Bird would grow substantially, becoming one of the larger body manufacturers in the United States. Following a 1946 heart attack, A.L. Luce began to gradually hand over operations of Blue Bird to his three sons, with A.L. "Buddy" Luce, Jr. becoming company president in 1950.
All American
In 1948, on a trip to Europe, A.L. Luce and his son George attended the 1948 Paris Auto Show. After becoming interested in a GM-chassis forward-control bus on display, Luce sought to buy a similar bus chassis to produce with a Blue Bird body. After unable to buy a chassis, Luce purchased the display vehicle, importing it to the United States. In 1949, the first Blue Bird All American was produced, entering full-scale production in 1950. For 1952, Blue Bird began the first school bus manufacturer to produce its own chassis (rather than from outside suppliers). With the exception of the van-based Micro Bird, Blue Bird builds the chassis of each bus its produces.
Currently in its sixth generation, the Blue Bird All American is the longest-produced school bus in production. While not the first forward-control school bus (the Crown Supercoach was introduced in 1932), the All America would become one of the designs to widely expand its use, leading its wider use by school districts and school bus operators throughout the United States and Canada. Along with the Blue Bird Conventional (and the later Blue Bird Vision), many Blue Bird body designs would share design elements with the All American, including the TC/2000, TC/1000, APC and CS commercial buses, and Wanderlodge recreational vehicle.
1960-1980: Moving beyond school buses
As the 1950s became the 1960s, Blue Bird grew rapidly, becoming the fourth-largest manufacturer of school buses. To accommodate the added demand, the Luce brothers added several production facilities to supplement the Fort Valley, Georgia plant. In 1958, Blue Bird Canada was opened in Brantford, Ontario. In 1962, Blue Bird Midwest was opened in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. In 1965, Blue Bird moved production beyond North America with Blue Bird Central America in Guatemala. To lower production and maintenance costs, while the Conventional and All American bodies were produced, they were built on locally sourced chassis (from Mercedes-Benz, Hino, Nissan Diesel, and Toyota).
Company founder A.L. Luce died in 1962. Shortly after, the three Luce sons sought to diversify the company product line, fearing that the school bus industry, whose demand was influenced by the baby boom generation, would eventually drop off as students completed their education. At the beginning of the decade, the Blue Bird company logo made its debut, painted on the roofline of many of its buses.
In 1963, the first major Blue Bird venture outside of school buses made its debut. Named the Blue Bird Transit Home (re-branded Wanderlodge in 1968), it was a $12,000 ($92,000 in 2015 dollars) luxury recreational vehicle based on the All American. Using the heavy-duty frame and all-steel body to its advantage, the vehicle was marketed as higher-quality than other RVs of the time; the interior was largely built to order. Based on the All American for over 25 years, the Wanderlodge developed a loyal following, including celebrities and heads of state among their owners.
In the 1970s, Blue Bird developed a bus for a much wider audience. Named the City Bird, it was a variant of the All American developed for the mass-transit segment. A short-wheelbase rear-engine bus, the City Bird was intended for smaller cities and routes with cul-de-sac ends, providing better maneuverability, and more efficient costs than larger vehicles.
During the 1970s, with the use of small school buses increasing, Blue Bird found a way to diversify its school bus line. While school buses based on cutaway vans were not invented by the company, Blue Bird found ways to gain significant market share. In 1975, Blue Bird introduced the Micro Bird, based on a dual rear-wheel Chevrolet/GMC van chassis. Largely similar to the Wayne Busette, the Micro Bird distinguished itself by featuring a full-height school bus door and additional windows forward of the entry door to aid loading-zone visibility. In 1977, the small-bus lineup was expanded to two with the debut of the Mini Bird, based on the GM P-30 stepvan chassis. While still a small bus in its own right, the Mini Bird was designed with the advantage of the same body width of the Conventional/All American; many Mini Birds were fitted with wheelchair lifts.
1980s: New management
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the segment of school bus manufacturing was at a point of turmoil; many of the early 1960s predictions of the Luce brothers had largely come true. Nearly two decades after the Blue Bird began efforts to diversify its product line, the baby-boom generation had completed its secondary-level education. Consequently, a key factor that had led demand for school bus sales since the late 1940s was in decline. From 1979 to 1982, three of the six largest school bus manufacturers (Carpenter, Superior, and Ward) would file for bankruptcy, with Superior school bus production. From its 1932 founding until 1984, the operations of Blue Bird were overseen by A.L. Luce or his three sons. In 1984, the family expanded the board of directors outside of the family. In 1986, the company hired Paul Glaske, president of Marathon LeTourneau, a Texas-based heavy equipment manufacturer. From 1986 onward, Glaske would oversee the day-to-day operations of the company while the sons of Buddy and Joseph Luce worked elsewhere in company management.
To preserve sales, in 1984, Blue Bird began the use of financing for bus acquisitions. The strategy proved successful, with Blue Bird becoming the highest-selling manufacturer in North America by the mid-1980s; nearly one out of every three new school buses was a Blue Bird. During the end of the 1980s, several extensive changes were made to the Blue Bird product line. While the company had offered a rear-engine All American since the early 1960s, in 1988, its chassis became produced by Blue Bird for the first time (previously outsourced to various manufacturers). The transit-style school bus product line was expanded from one to two in 1998, as Blue Bird introduced the Blue Bird TC/2000.
Largely a response to the Wayne Lifestar, the TC/2000 was developed in an effort to secure bids from operators of large fleets, intended to be priced closely to conventional-style buses. In line with the All American, the TC/2000 used a Blue Bird-sourced chassis (with lighter-duty powertrain and suspension). Following its launch, the TC/2000 would become a runaway success, by 1990, nearly 1 in 10 new school buses sold in the United States was a TC/2000. During 1989 production, Blue Bird introduced its first major changes to the All American since 1957; along with extensive exterior updates, the entire powertrain lineup was revised, along with a redesigned drivers compartment.
While the 1980s would prove successful for Blue Bird in school bus production, the company saw mixed results in other segments. After 10 years of struggling sales, the Blue Bird City Bird was discontinued in 1986. In spite of volatile sales in recreational vehicles, the Wanderlodge remained successful (accounting for nearly 1 in 5 Blue Bird vehicles sold). To better compete with more modern designs, Blue Bird began to downplay the commonality of the Wanderlodge and the All American school bus, with several exterior restylings in the late 1980s. In 1988, a 102" wide version of the Wanderlodge was introduced (then too wide for school bus use); the final Wanderlodge to share a body and chassis with the All American was produced in 1990.
1990s: Blue Bird in transition
At the beginning of the 1990s, Blue Bird had secured its position as the highest-volume school bus manufacturer; following the launch of the TC/2000, the company held nearly a 50% market share. After nearly six decades as a family-run company, in 1991, the Luce family decided to put Blue Bird Body Company up for sale. After showing the company to potential buyers through much of 1991, six buyers offered bids. For $397 million, Merrill Lynch Capital Partners purchased an 82% share of Blue Bird in November 1991, changing the name from Blue Bird Body Company to Blue Bird Corporation. Under the terms of the sale, the remaining 18% of the company was equally distributed between Paul Glaske and 14 management employees selected by the Luce family; Buddy and Joseph Luce retired while the rest of the management team was retained.
During the early 1990s, following the success of its school bus product lines, Blue Bird commenced efforts to further diversify its product lines. As a replacement for the City Bird, in 1992, Blue Bird launched the Blue Bird Q-Bus, designed for mass-transit and charter applications. In contrast to the City Bird, the Q-Bus shared no design commonality with a Blue Bird school bus. In addition to the Q-Bus, the APC (All-Purpose Coach) and CS (Commercial Series) were introduced, as commercial buses based on the bodies of the All American and TC/2000; a "shell" version was sold for upfitters as well.
To better compete with more modern designs of luxury recreational vehicles, Blue Bird began to update the design of the Wanderlodge. Following the 1988 introduction of the 102" wide body, the Wanderlodge line was redesigned entirely for 1991 (effectively sharing only Blue Bird emblems with the All American). In 1994, a second version of the Wanderlodge was introduced, as the Wanderlodge BMC debuted. To expand its availability, the Wanderlodge BMC was produced using a chassis from Spartan Motors; a Blue Bird QMC commercial variant was introduced, designed as a mobile workstation. In 1997, Blue Bird expanded into the passenger motorcoach segment, introducing the LTC-40 (Luxury Touring Coach); for 1998, the Wanderlodge LX/LXi were introduced, adapting the LTC body.
In an effort to match demand for its product lines, Blue Bird made several changes to its production facilities, closing Blue Bird East in (in Virginia) in 1992 and opening Blue Bird de Mexico (in Monterrey, Nuevo León) in 1995.
After few major changes to its school bus product lines through the 1990s, in 1999, the Blue Bird All American underwent its second redesign in 10 years. In order to increase forward visibility, the All American was given an all-new chassis (positioning the engine lower), adopting the larger windshield of the TC/2000, and redesigned dashboard and control panels (later used in the TC/2000).
During the late 1990s, Blue Bird Corporation would undergo the first of several ownership changes. After increasing sales each year throughout the second half of the 1990s, Blue Bird was acquired from Merril Lynch Capital Partners by Henlys Group PLC for $428 million (with Henlys also paying $237 million of Blue Bird company debt). At the time, Henlys sought to expand its operations in North America, with 10% of the company owned by Volvo Group.
Joint ventures
During the 1990s, Blue Bird would enter into several joint ventures as part of its school bus production, for both small and full-size school buses.
In an effort to supplement the Blue Bird Micro Bird, in 1992, Blue Bird entered into a supply agreement with Quebec-based bus manufacturer Girardin Minibus to supply Blue Birds with Girardin-produced MB-II/MB-IV school buses (branded as Blue Birds) on cutaway van chassis. While configured similar to the Micro Bird, the Blue Bird MB-II/IV by Girardin allowed Blue Bird to offer an updated body design; at the time, Girardin was the sole manufacturer to produce a full cutaway body for single rear-wheel van chassis. The MB-II and MB-IV were sold by Blue Bird until 1999, when they adopted the Girardin branding.
Coinciding with the 1991 redesign of the General Motors medium-duty truck line, General Motors entered into a 10-year supply agreement with Blue Bird, starting with 1993 production. Under the agreement, the Chevrolet/GMC B7 chassis would become the standard version of the Blue Bird Conventional, called the Blue Bird/GM CV200. At extra cost, Blue Bird offered a choice of other cowled chassis (Ford B700/B800, International 3800, and later Freightliner FS-65). The CV200 was produced through 2003.
Environmentally friendly buses
In place of bringing all-new product lines to production, during the 1990s, Blue Bird explored several methods of reducing the environmental impact of school buses, with several methods reaching production. In 1991, Blue Bird developed the first school bus powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), an All American Rear Engine. In 1995, Blue Bird began a collaboration with John Deere to produce school buses with CNG engines, lasting into the 2000s; along with the All American, CNG engines were produced for the TC/2000.
In 1996, Blue Bird debuted the Envirobus 2000 concept school bus. Derived loosely from the Q-Bus, the Envirobus served loosely as a testbed for safety-related technology along with the viability of CNG-powered school buses.
Along with alternative-fuel buses, Blue Bird became the first school bus manufacturer to develop fully electric school buses; during the 1990s, technology limited its development to the prototype stage. In 1994, the company developed a battery-powered school bus in an effort with Westinghouse Electronic Systems for a school district in California. In 1996, Blue Bird collaborated with Electrosource, Inc in an effort to design a battery system intended for buses.
2000s: Focus toward school buses
While the late 1990s were calmer than the late 1970s for the school bus industry, it still remained a time of relative turmoil for school bus manufacturers; this would carry into the 2000s. Several school bus manufacturers underwent acquisition or changed hands (AmTran and Thomas Built Buses); by 2001, several others (Crown Coach, Carpenter, Gillig, Wayne) would end school bus production forever. Instead of being family-run companies, school bus manufacturers were now owned by larger companies with ties to truck manufacturing. For Blue Bird, a large stake of the company was owned by the Volvo Group, the largest bus manufacturer in the world. However, during the early 2000s, due to financial difficulties of its other parent company, Blue Bird was sold from Henlys in 2004. In 2006, Blue Bird was acquired through a bankruptcy filing by Cerberus Capital Management. Looking to develop its entries in the transportation sector, Blue Bird was paired with North American Bus Industries (NABI) and Optima Bus Corporation by Cerberus.
At the beginning of the 2000s, Blue Bird sought to modernize its aging transit bus line; the Q-Bus was nearly a decade old and the CS and APC coaches were essentially commercial versions of the All American and TC/2000 school buses. For 2002, the 96-inch wide Q-Bus was replaced by the 102-inch wide Xcel102 and the CS and APC lines were retired. In 2003, the company entered the low-floor segment with the introduction of the UltraLF and UltraLMB.
As the number of full-size school bus manufacturers had been cut from seven to three from 1990 to 2000, Blue Bird began on making its school bus products more competitive during the early part of the decade. Following the substantial update of the All American in 1999, Blue Bird discontinued the slow-selling TC/1000 in 2001 and consolidated the TC/2000 with the All American early in 2004.
However, the largest change came in 2003, as Blue Bird sought to replace the CV200. While initially developed to use the Ford F-650 Super Duty chassis, the Vision underwent a major change before its release. In a major break from precedent, Blue Bird did not use an existing truck manufacturer for the chassis, instead developing its own version from the ground up. While the Vision used the same bus body as the long-running Conventional, engineering changes were made to optimize forward visibility.
As part of its acquisition by Cerberus, Blue Bird gradually saw itself positioned exclusively into yellow school bus production, its largest market. In 2007, the Xcel102 was discontinued and the low-floor UltraLF/LMB product lines were added to NABI. In a controversial move, the rights to the Wanderlodge luxury motorhome were sold to Complete Coach Works; production ended in 2009.
In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the construction the first Blue Bird bus and the centennial of the Model T Ford, the Luce family donated the restored vehicle to The Henry Ford Museum in 2008. Dubbed "Blue Bird #1", it is the oldest known surviving school bus in the United States.
With resources dedicated solely towards school bus production, the Vision saw a major update for 2008. In addition to a new dashboard, it received a new cowl with larger headlights and grille. For 2009, the company expanded alternative-fuel options as it introduced a propane-fuel variant of the Vision; it was powered by a General Motors 8.1L V8. For 2010, the All American was given a complete update, marking some of the largest changes to the Blue Bird body design in over 50 years; along with a complete redesign of the roof, windshield, and rear entry, the interior received a ground-up redesign.
With the streamlining of bus production, the number of production facilities utilized by the company has been reduced. Blue Bird de Mexico was closed in 2001 and Blue Bird Midwest in Mount Pleasant, Iowa was closed in 2002. In 2010, Blue Bird North Georgia was closed, consolidating all bus production back to company headquarters in Fort Valley.
In October 2009, Blue Bird further streamlined its bus production as it entered into a second joint venture with Canadian school bus manufacturer Girardin Minibus. Dubbed Micro Bird, Inc., all small bus production was consolidated at the Girardin facilities in Quebec, Canada; consequently, all Blue Bird production is now limited to full-size conventional and transit buses. The 2010 Micro Bird was the last Blue Bird bus to use a non-Blue Bird chassis.
2010-present: Next-generation school buses
Following the consolidation of Blue Bird production to the Vision and All American school buses (and vehicles derived from them), during the 2010s, a number of changes were phased in. In following with the popularity with the LPG/propane autogas version of the Blue Bird Vision bus, a version powered by a Ford V10 and equipped with a ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas fuel system was introduced in 2011 (as the original General Motors V8 engines were no longer in production); in addition, the Vision received a dashboard and steering column shared with the All American.
In late 2012, Blue Bird unveiled a redesigned 2014 All American series (code-named the T3 Series), which would replace versions introduced in 1999 and 2008 produced concurrently. Distinguished by a redesigned (rounder) roof, the new All American has increased parts commonality with the Vision. In October 2013, the 2015 Vision was introduced. Along with clear-lens headlights and a new grille, propane-fueled versions gained the option of an extended-range 98-gallon fuel tank. Company owner Cerberus Capital sold off the majority of its transportation holdings, including NABI and Optima to Canadian bus builder New Flyer; Blue Bird remained under Cerberus ownership.
In late 2013, Blue Bird entered a different segment of school transportation as it introduced Blue Bird Connect(TM), a GPS-based fleet management software system co-developed with Synovia Solutions. While designed as an integrated system as an option for any Blue Blue school bus, Blue Bird Connect(TM) was also intended for retrofit to existing fleets of school buses as well, regardless of brand.
Though produced by Girardin under the Micro Bird joint venture, in late 2014, the company introduced the Micro Bird T-Series, a Girardin-bodied Type A school bus; it is the first school bus body ever produced for the Ford Transit in North America. Largely due to the Ford-derived chassis design, Blue Bird predicts a 20% fuel economy increase over its E-Series MB/G5 counterpart.
In September 2014, the ownership of Blue Bird underwent another transition. Texas-based venture capital firm Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corporation purchased a $255 million stake of the company from Cerberus affiliate The Traxis Group. As part of the acquisition, Cerberus/Traxis would retain majority ownership; the Blue Bird leadership team remained in place. Although Cerberus remains the majority owner of Blue Bird with a 58% share of the company, in late February 2015, Blue Bird became the first stand-alone school bus manufacturer to become publicly traded on NASDAQ.
By 2015, Blue Bird ranked as the leading provider of propane autogas powered school buses through a partnership with ROUSH CleanTech, which provides propane autogas fuel systems for the buses. At this time, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) estimated that between school districts and private fleets, 11,000 propane school buses had been purchased in the United States.
In September 2015, Blue Bird further expanded its non-diesel fuel offerings as the company introduced a gasoline-fueled variant of the Vision, starting with 2016 production The first gasoline-fueled full-size school bus since the discontinuation of the 2002 Blue Bird CV200, it is powered by the same Ford V10 used by the propane-fueled variant of the Vision.
In January 2017, Blue Bird announced it would begin development of a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) school bus with the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. This development work is being supported by a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as additional support from other entities, bringing together just over $9 million in funds. The project will result in eight ZEV V2G school buses being deployed in California.
in Late 2017 Blue Bird developed Electric buses called "Blue Bird Micro Bird G5 Electric by Girardin", "Blue Bird Vision Electric" launched in early 2018 and "Blue Bird All American T3RE Electric". These electric buses is set to commerce production for 2019.
Maps Blue Bird Corporation
Products
In addition to school, activity, and commercial applications, Blue Bird buses have been custom-built for unique applications such as bloodmobiles, mobile libraries, and public safety command centers.
School buses
Other vehicles
Exports
Blue Bird have also built a number of buses for the United Kingdom market, with 62 Blue Bird buses being exported to the UK between 1992 and 2007. Most of the vehicles exported were right hand drive variants of the Blue Bird All American and the Blue Bird Q-Bus. Various local councils, such as Staffordshire County Council and West Sussex County Council, imported a large number of Blue Bird school buses for their own school routes; FirstGroup were the largest private customer in the United Kingdom, ordering eighteen All Americans in 2002.
In addition to school buses, a single low-floor city bus, known as the Blue Bird LFCC9, was built in late 2003. The 29-seater midibus, registered NK53TJV, received the then-popular Plaxton Pointer 2 bodywork and entered service with Arriva North East.
Prototypes
Company timeline
Manufacturing and assembly
Traditionally, school buses such as those produced by Blue Bird consist of components purchased from various outside suppliers and parts which are manufactured in-house to the company's specifications. These two categories of parts are then typically assembled into bodies which can be mounted onto chassis which have often been variations of those used in a myriad of truck applications.
Production-wise, the large "home" plant complex in Fort Valley, Georgia served as both a part manufacturing plant for the entire organization as well as one of the six locations where bodies were assembled from in house and purchased components. Parts and service were also located in Fort Valley, as was Wanderlodge Wayside Park, a tree-shaded motor home park for visiting Wanderlodges adjacent to the Wanderlodge plant.
Blue Bird Corporation currently operates a single manufacturing facility in the United States: the Blue Bird Body Company in Fort Valley, Georgia. A second facility (Blue Bird North Georgia) in LaFayette, Georgia was closed August 30, 2010.
In the past, Blue Bird has had an international manufacturing presence, with two factories in Canada, one in Mexico, and one in South America. These have now all been closed due to changing market conditions and Blue Bird's shift back to a lineup of school bus-based vehicles.
Branding
Company name
Though the origin of the Blue Bird company name is no longer known, several theories are known to exist. Most commonly, in the early 1930s, A.L. Luce was perceived to have been nervous about using the family surname for the company out of fears of it being mispronounced (i.e., a Luce bus = "loose bus"). When showing a blue and yellow demonstrator unit to school officials, Luce overheard the positive reception of school children who had seen the bus, who had nicknamed it "a pretty blue bird"; Luce chose that name for his body manufacturing company. However, since the late 1930s, yellow has become the exterior color associated with American-manufactured school buses.
Roof emblem
The Blue Bird company emblem, painted on the roof of many of its buses since the early 1960s, is a silhouette profile of its namesake, a bluebird. Later in the decade, the company began to combine the Blue Bird emblem with a stripe painted on the roof on the bus, known as a "streamer". On school buses, the streamers were black, if specifications allowed for its use. Although the combination of roof emblems and streamers would come into use by other school manufacturers, the latter would become most closely associated with Blue Bird and its roof emblem.
Alternative-fuel school buses feature several variations (as an option), with propane/CNG buses painted with green emblems and streamers; gasoline-fuel buses feature a blue emblem and streamer. The newly unveiled electric Blue Bird All American and Vision feature a green roof emblem with a streamer styled as an electric cord. On non-school buses (i.e., a Wanderlodge or a commercial-use bus), the Blue Bird emblem and streamer (if specified) were painted in a color that contrasted with the body.
In 2013, the roof streamer was redesigned for the first time. To simplify manufacturing, the roof-length streamer was replaced by a single design common to all body styles for both Blue Bird and Micro Bird buses.
See also
- School bus
- North American Bus Industries
- List of school bus manufacturers
References
External links
- Blue-Bird.com Blue Bird Corporation official website
- Blue Bird Corporation official Facebook Page
- Blue Bird Corporation official Twitter Page
- School Bus Fleet magazine official website
- Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for school buses
- U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
- Technical support forum for the Blue Bird Wanderlodge
Source of article : Wikipedia
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