13 January 2024
Prevost Coaches Crisscross the U.S.
Nashville, Tennessee (January 13, 2024) All across the United States, sleek Prevost buses, coaches and motorhomes traverse city streets, motor down highways and carry superstar entertainers on multi-city tours.
In fact, Prevost buses and coaches are utilized by the New York City Transit System, Greyhound and travel and tour operators throughout the U.S. In addition, many headlining artists have spent months living in a luxury Prevost motorhome.
100 Years of Prevost and 26 Years Being American Led
Prevost, which was founded in 1924 in a small village in Canada, is a premiere bus, coach and motorhome manufacturer and the world leader in the production of high-end motorhome and specialty conversion coaches. The company has had a U.S. presence for nearly 60 years and was led by two American businessmen from 1969 to 1995, with some of the company’s most notable introductions occurring during that time.
Prevost entered the U.S. market in 1967 when Somerset Bus Company in Somerset, New Jersey, became the first American operator to purchase a new Prevost coach. That same year, Prevost opened two sales and service facilities – one in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, and another in Los Angeles.
In 1969, Americans Thomas B. Harbison and William G. Campbell formed a partnership with André Normand, president of Prevost Car Inc., to lead the company. Harbison and Campbell were longtime motorhome owners and contributed to the engineering of Prevost’s first LeMirage conversion “shell” in 1977. The shell business continues to this day with five specialized U.S. converters that utilize Prevost shells to create custom-designed luxury motorcoaches.
One of the company’s most talked about products was the H5-60, a 60-foot articulated 72-passenger bus. Introduced in 1985, the bus was used extensively by city transit systems and frequently drew attention as its articulated frame came around corners.
“As a charter bus operator, the H5-60 really helped our business grow and move us to the next level,” says Brian Annett, president of Annett Bus Lines, which is based in Sebring, Fla. “It’s probably the product that put Prevost on the map because it was something completely different.”
In the U.S., Prevost has 650 employees, operates Prevost-owned service centers throughout the country, works with leading travel and tour operators, partners with five luxury motorhome converters and provides buses to many cities.
For information on Prevost, its history and 100th anniversary, visit prevostcar.com.