Champion Bus
Champion Bus | |
Foundation | 1980 (as commercial vehicle division of Champion Enterprises Inc.) |
Location | Imlay City, Michigan |
Area Served | Canada & United States |
Industry | Bus manufacturing |
Products | Transit & shuttle buses |
Champion Bus Incorporated, a division of Forest River Inc.,[1] is a manufacturer of light to medium duty buses based in Imlay City, Michigan.
History
Champion Enterprises Incorporated was founded in 1953 and established its commercial vehicle division in 1980. Initially building buses by adapting models from Champion's motor homes division, the division introduced its first purpose-built bus models in 1981. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, the two divisions worked closely together, resulting in many bus and motor home models continuing to share bodies and platforms, albeit designed and engineered to meet the unique demands of both motor home and bus buyers alike. In the late 1980s, both divisions were spun off from their parent company to form Champion Motor Coach Incorporated Champion Motor Coach exited the motor home industry in 1993 to focus on the development and manufacture of buses. Following its acquisition by Thor Industries' commercial bus division in 1998, the company was renamed to its present Champion Bus. It was sold, along with the rest of Thor's bus division, to the REV Group, then known as Allied Specialty Vehicles, in October 2013. Despite having been established in 1980 and being completely separate today from Champion Enterprises Holdings LLC., the successor to Champion Holdings Inc., Champion Bus claims it was founded in 1953 for marketing purposes.
Current Models
Buses made under the Champion brand include:
Past Models
- American Coach
- American Crusader
- Crusader
- Centurian
- Contender
- CTS Front Engine
- CTS Rear Engine
- EZ Trans
- Solo
- Star
- TTA
- Trolley Replica
Contacts
- Address: PO Box 158, 331 Graham, Imlay City, MI 48444
- Email: sales@championbus.com
- Fax: 810-724-1844
- Phone: 810-724-6474 or 1-800-776-4943