Coachbult.com - Prevost Car Company



Prevost Car Corporation - 1924-present - Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada

This company began in 1924 by building wooden bus bodies, and in 1947 turned out its first complete coach, with all-steel body. Later models included Le Normand, a silverside highway coach with diesel engine and air suspension (1959), Le Travelair, a small airport bus (1962), and Le Panoramique, a sightseeing bus (1966). By 1967 these had evolved into the Champion, a split-level 3-axle coach with air-conditioning. Champions were sold in the United States as well as Canada, and a fleet of them replaced the obsolescent trans-Newfoundland passenger trains. In 1968 the Super-luxurious Panorama, with tall, curved side windows, was designed in conjunction with a Montreal operator, and went into production three years later as the Prestige. Specially suited for sightseeing and charters, it has been sold as far away as Hawaii. All current Prevost coaches have three axles, with single tired trailing axle, and are powered by rear-mounted Detroit Diesel V-8 diesel engines. Transmissions are 4- or 6-speed manual, or automatic systems. Total production to date is over 1,500 units.

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Prevost Coaches
Prevost is best known for its remarkably styled coaches and motor homes, which have been the company's main products since the end of the 1960's. From modest beginnings, the company has become the second largest coachbuilder in North America.

In 1924 Eugene Prevost, a cabinetmaker in the province of Quebec, Canada, built his first wooden bus body. In 1945 the first all metal coach was built and bus building gradually became the firm's main activity. During the 1950's,...

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Much has changed since that day in 1924, when cabinet-maker Eugene Prevost was commissioned to create his first wooden coach body and mount it on a brand new REO truck chassis. More than eighty years later, Prevost Car, now jointly owned by Volvo Bus Corporation and Britain's Henly's Group PLC, stands as one of the North American manufacturers of premium intercity touring coaches and the undisputed world-leader in the production of coach shells for high-end motorhome and specialty conversion.

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Founded at the turn of the century by Eugene Prevost, Les Ateliers Prevost specialized in producing church pews and school furniture. Between 1924 and 1945, the Company developed an expertise in building coach bodies on truck chassis.

The first all-metal coach body was launched in 1945. From 1945 through 1957, Prevost gradually phased out cabinetwork to concentrate on building highway motor coaches.

In 1957, industrialist Paul Normand acquired the company and renamed it Prevost Car with a mission to design and build intercity motor coaches offering
optimal comfort and reliability.

The revolutionary 1966 Prevost CHAMPION was the first North American coach with an integral structure. In 1968, the Prevost PRESTIGE came out with the curved roof-wrapping side window design that has become the hallmark of the Prevost LeMIRAGE XL silhouette. In 1968, André Normand, Mr. Paul Normand's son, became President of Prevost Car and was joined by Tom Harbison and Bill Campbell.

1976 turned out to be amilestone in Prevost's history with the introduction of the hallmark. LeMirage model. In 1982, when legislation availed, the coach body was widened by 6 inches and the suffix XL was added to
differentiate the new 102-inch widebody LeMirages.

As experienced motor homers, Tom Harbison's and Bill Campbell's input in the engineering of the LeMIRAGE shell
set new standards in reliability and versatility for high-end custom furbishing. Less than five years later, Prevost had achieved industry leadership and to this day the company remains the undisputed world leader in the manufacturing of bus shells for high-end motor home and specialty conversion.

At the end of the 1980's, Prevost sets out to put together the industry's leading in-house R&D team.<BR>The outcome was well worth the effort, with the introduction in 1984 of the first North American built 102-inch wide body coaches: the LeMIRAGE XL and Prevost XL featuring integral structure.

In the spring of 1985, Prevost Car Inc. literally stole the show in Las Vegas with the first of its H-Series coaches: the articulated Prevost H5-60.

A new-generation coach design that redefined existing standards for reliability, durability and passenger comfort.

The technological advance acquired by Prevost engineers in developing this new-generation coach led to the subsequent launches of a new line of high-class touring coaches, i.e. the Prevost H3-40, H3-41 and H3-45.

Both the Prevost H3-40 (40 foot luxury touring coach) and the Prevost H3-40 bus shell (for high-end motor home conversion) were launched in 1989.

In 1994, several new introductions were made into the market, such as, the launching of the Prevost H3-45, 45 foot luxury touring coach and the Prevost H3-45 VIP, for high-end motor home and specialty conversion.

In 1995, Prevost Car Inc. was acquired by Volvo Bus Corporation and Henly's Group PLC. That same year, we introduced 4 new models: the Prevost H3-41 (41 foot luxury touring coach), the LeMIRAGE XL45 (bus shell for high-end motor home conversion), the LeMIRAGE XL45 (45 foot touring coach) and last but not least, the LeMIRAGE XL45 ENTERTAINER (bus shell for high-end travel quarters
conversion).

Registration of the quality system covering manufacturing and design activities under the ISO 9001 standard. Introduction of the Prevost-engineered independent suspension system (ISS) on LeMIRAGE XL-series bus shells for conversion.

Registration of the environmental management system related to manufacturing and design
activities under the ISO 14001 standard. Registration of the quality system covering parts sale and service under the ISO 9002 standard.

In early 1998, Prevost was selected among the Volvo Bus Corporation group of Companies to develop and implement a model SAP
program. The project code-named SYNERSYS (synergy of the systems) has since accomplished its mission to review,
optimize and fully integrate computerized communication systems and all working procedures in all departments. Prevost's SAP project went live in August 1999.

Production of the new LeMirage XLII model began in January 2000. This state-of-the-art 45-foot x 102-inch widebody coach is produced in three configurations: 47-passenger intercity touring coach, coach shell for high-end motorhome conversion, coach shell for traveling entertainers.

Launching of the Prevost H-Series model 2003 breaks new ground at UMA's MOTORCOACH EXPO 2002 held in Indianapolis, January 21-24.