Busette
Encyclopedia
The Wayne Busette was the first small school bus
designed on a cutaway van chassis
. A product of Wayne Corporation
of Richmond, Indiana
, first developed in 1972, the Busette utilized a van
chassis equipped with dual rear wheels. With a low center of gravity
, Busette provided the combination of increased seating capacity
and handling stability over conventional vans and van conversions.
, and General Motors were all manufacturing many models of passenger vans. Chrysler's Dodge Ram Wagon and Plymouth Voyager each had a maximum seating capacity
of 14 persons plus a driver; these came to be commonly known as 15-passenger vans, eventually joined by similar models by the other manufacturers. Conversions of full-size vans into personal motor homes became very popular, drawing the interest of recreational vehicle manufacturers.
In the early 1970s, the so-called "Big Three" (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors) began working on higher-capacity models of their popular full-size vans; these heavy-duty chassis were intended for commercial use by second stage manufacturers. Second stage manufacturers build such products as bus and truck bodies, motor homes, and other specialized vehicles. Neither their product, nor the first stage portion, called an incomplete motor vehicle, are fully compliant with requirements for a complete motor vehicle. Neither portion can be licensed or operated lawfully without the other.
Featuring a van front end and cab design, the bodywork ended immediately behind the driver and front passenger seats; for shipment, it was usually covered by temporary plywood or heavy cardboard material. It was soon known by the name cutaway van chassis
in recognition of this feature.
began experimenting with an expanded cutaway van chassis with dual rear wheels. As a light duty vehicle, a bus body built upon the incomplete cutaway chassis could be marketed and serviced by automobile dealers, an advantage over a bus based over a medium-duty truck.
Wayne's initial prototype was built on a Ford Econoline
cutaway van platform. With four rows of seats behind the driver, it was named "Busette". The overall weight was kept down by maintaining 63" of headroom, which facilitated seating for up to 24 children but limited standing room for most adults. Initially, curbside entry was provided through a makeshift arrangement using the original-equipment van door. After the 1976 introduction of the Transette, a conventional bus door and stepwell became an option.
The Busette prototype on the Ford Econoline chassis was well-received. Initial production began in 1973 on Chrysler's Dodge chassis; the following year, Chevrolet and GMC chassis were made available. Due to differences in cutaway floor construction of Chrysler, Ford, and GM products, Ford production was deferred until 1981.
The Busette proved to be a very popular Wayne product. School bus versions were widely accepted by Head Start and special education programs. In comparison to vans and other small buses, the Busette's dual rear-wheel design was favorable to single rear wheels due to its greater stability. The Busette's low overall height made it seem smaller to drivers transitioning from passenger vans to larger buses.
The Transette prototype was introduced to the dealer organization in the fall of 1975 at the annual Wayne dealer sales meeting, held that year at Richmond, Indiana. Dealers were very enthusiastic about the new Transette product. In early 1976, the prototype was introduced on a nationwide tour and orders began rolling in. One market for which the Transette proved well-suited for was airport car rental shuttles. Within a year, Wayne Transette minibuses became the primary small shuttle vehicle for all the major rental car companies: Hertz, Avis
, National, Budget
, and Dollar rent-a-car organizations each had purchased a number of Transettes for use at or near most of their US airport locations.
-type services in the US.
had developed competing products built on the cutaway van chassis. These manufacturers were joined by several others which specialized in small school buses. In the early 1990s, the tooling and product rights of the Busette were acquired by Mid Bus
, an Ohio
manufacturer specializing in small school buses.
Today, cutaway van chassis are the chassis of choice of small school buses; the Wayne Busette was among the first to popularize the usage of such chassis.
School bus
A school bus is a type of bus designed and manufactured for student transport: carrying children and teenagers to and from school and school events...
designed on a cutaway van chassis
Cutaway van chassis
Cutaway van chassis are used by second stage manufacturers for a wide range of completed motor vehicles. Especially popular in the United States, they are usually based upon incomplete vans made by manufacturers such as Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors which are...
. A product of Wayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...
of Richmond, Indiana
Richmond, Indiana
Richmond is a city largely within Wayne Township, Wayne County, in east central Indiana, United States, which borders Ohio. The city also includes the Richmond Municipal Airport, which is in Boston Township and separated from the rest of the city...
, first developed in 1972, the Busette utilized a van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
chassis equipped with dual rear wheels. With a low center of gravity
Center of gravity
In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
, Busette provided the combination of increased seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
and handling stability over conventional vans and van conversions.
Cutaway van chassis
By the early 1970s, Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor CompanyFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, and General Motors were all manufacturing many models of passenger vans. Chrysler's Dodge Ram Wagon and Plymouth Voyager each had a maximum seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 14 persons plus a driver; these came to be commonly known as 15-passenger vans, eventually joined by similar models by the other manufacturers. Conversions of full-size vans into personal motor homes became very popular, drawing the interest of recreational vehicle manufacturers.
In the early 1970s, the so-called "Big Three" (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors) began working on higher-capacity models of their popular full-size vans; these heavy-duty chassis were intended for commercial use by second stage manufacturers. Second stage manufacturers build such products as bus and truck bodies, motor homes, and other specialized vehicles. Neither their product, nor the first stage portion, called an incomplete motor vehicle, are fully compliant with requirements for a complete motor vehicle. Neither portion can be licensed or operated lawfully without the other.
Featuring a van front end and cab design, the bodywork ended immediately behind the driver and front passenger seats; for shipment, it was usually covered by temporary plywood or heavy cardboard material. It was soon known by the name cutaway van chassis
Cutaway van chassis
Cutaway van chassis are used by second stage manufacturers for a wide range of completed motor vehicles. Especially popular in the United States, they are usually based upon incomplete vans made by manufacturers such as Chrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors which are...
in recognition of this feature.
The cutaway school bus
In the early 1970s, Wayne CorporationWayne Corporation
Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...
began experimenting with an expanded cutaway van chassis with dual rear wheels. As a light duty vehicle, a bus body built upon the incomplete cutaway chassis could be marketed and serviced by automobile dealers, an advantage over a bus based over a medium-duty truck.
Wayne's initial prototype was built on a Ford Econoline
Ford E-Series
The Ford E-Series, formerly known as the Econoline or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The E-Series is related to the Ford F-Series line of pickup trucks. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced...
cutaway van platform. With four rows of seats behind the driver, it was named "Busette". The overall weight was kept down by maintaining 63" of headroom, which facilitated seating for up to 24 children but limited standing room for most adults. Initially, curbside entry was provided through a makeshift arrangement using the original-equipment van door. After the 1976 introduction of the Transette, a conventional bus door and stepwell became an option.
The Busette prototype on the Ford Econoline chassis was well-received. Initial production began in 1973 on Chrysler's Dodge chassis; the following year, Chevrolet and GMC chassis were made available. Due to differences in cutaway floor construction of Chrysler, Ford, and GM products, Ford production was deferred until 1981.
The Busette proved to be a very popular Wayne product. School bus versions were widely accepted by Head Start and special education programs. In comparison to vans and other small buses, the Busette's dual rear-wheel design was favorable to single rear wheels due to its greater stability. The Busette's low overall height made it seem smaller to drivers transitioning from passenger vans to larger buses.
Wayne Transette
In 1975, a higher headroom version for adult transportation was developed called Transette. Wayne modified the Busette to increase its headroom and include a bus-style walk-in door. Since the Transette was not bound by school bus safety standards, Wayne also added features like larger side windows, standee windows, and non-school bus seats. Also, an auxiliary air conditioning unit was made available as an option.The Transette prototype was introduced to the dealer organization in the fall of 1975 at the annual Wayne dealer sales meeting, held that year at Richmond, Indiana. Dealers were very enthusiastic about the new Transette product. In early 1976, the prototype was introduced on a nationwide tour and orders began rolling in. One market for which the Transette proved well-suited for was airport car rental shuttles. Within a year, Wayne Transette minibuses became the primary small shuttle vehicle for all the major rental car companies: Hertz, Avis
Avis Rent A Car System
Avis Rent a Car System, LLC is a car rental company headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey, United States. Avis, Budget Rent a Car and Budget Truck Rental are all units of Avis Budget Group....
, National, Budget
Budget Rent a Car
Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. is an American car rental company that was founded in 1958 in Los Angeles, California by Morris Mirkin. Budget's operations are headquartered in Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey....
, and Dollar rent-a-car organizations each had purchased a number of Transettes for use at or near most of their US airport locations.
Accessibility Products
Busette and Transette minibuses both offered optional wheelchair ramps and electro-hydraulic lifts which had been developed by accessibility product pioneers Don Collins, a former Wayne dealer, and founder of Collins Bus Corporation which grew into a major manufacturer specializing in small buses, and Ralph Braun, a disabled man who started Braun Industries with products developed in his garage. The Transette became especially popular in small town transit and dial-a-ride paratransitParatransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
-type services in the US.
Chaperone: The Next Generation
As Wayne produced the Busette during the 1970s, many manufacturers developed similar products of their own. During the mid-1980s, to increase its market share, Wayne introduced a second Type A product: the Chaperone. The Chaperone featured much of the same layout of the Busette, with the same dual rear wheel chassis available. However, instead of 3 rubrails on the side panels, the Chaperone featured 4; the body was essentially the same design used for the Lifeguard built to fit a van chassis. The Chaperone was produced produced by Wayne Corporation and by Wayne Wheeled Vehicles until its closure.Legacy
By the early 1980s, all five of the major school bus body companies in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
had developed competing products built on the cutaway van chassis. These manufacturers were joined by several others which specialized in small school buses. In the early 1990s, the tooling and product rights of the Busette were acquired by Mid Bus
Mid Bus
Mid Bus was a corporation which specialized in manufacturing customized school buses. Formed in 1981 by former employees of Superior Coach Company in Lima, Ohio, it grew from a dozen employees working in a small facility in Lima to become one of the country's largest manufacturers of smaller school...
, an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
manufacturer specializing in small school buses.
Today, cutaway van chassis are the chassis of choice of small school buses; the Wayne Busette was among the first to popularize the usage of such chassis.
Competing products
- Blue Bird Micro BirdBlue Bird Micro BirdThe Blue Bird Micro Bird is an American school bus introduced in 1975 by the Blue Bird Corporation. It is a small Type A , with passenger capacity ranging from 10 to 30 passengers. The Micro Bird was originally designed as a school bus, but it is also sold as a MFSAB...
- Carpenter Classmate
- Thomas MinotourThomas MinotourThe Minotour is a Type A school bus built by Thomas Built Buses, introduced in 1980. It is available in several different configurations, with seating capacity up to 30 passengers in the largest models. -Configurations:...
- Ward/AmTran Vanguard