Classic

GM / MCI / Nova Classic
Years of manufacture	1982 to 1997
Length	40 or 60 feet
Width	102 inches
Power/Fuel	Diesel

The Classic was an updated design of the popular General Motors New Look transit bus. The Classic was produced from 1982 to 1997 by three manufacturers: General Motors, MCI, and Nova Bus.

History

General Motors in the United States decided to replace the New Look with the RTS series in 1977, however the so-called Advanced Design Bus was not embraced by Canadian transit operators. GM Canada's Transit division continued producing the New Look until 1986, and in 1982, developed an updated model called the Classic.

Motor Coach Industries (MCI) took over production of the Classic after GM sold its transit bus division in 1987. MCI withdrew from the transit bus market and the Classic was inherited by the newly created Nova Bus in 1992. The Classic was produced by Nova Bus at their Quebec and New York facilities until it was discontinued in 1997 in favour of the Nova Bus LFS. The last Classics ever built were in Canada, for Société de transport de l'Outaouais in Gatineau, Quebec.

Design

The new front end of the Classic allowed for a wide front door, and later models produced for the United States featured a wheelchair lift. Classics with wheelchair lifts have a noticeably taller front door. The rear doors could be wide, double stream or narrow, single stream configurations.

Until 1990, the front destination sign was smaller. Later models had a wider and taller sign. However, it is noted that Montreal Area Classics retained the smaller front destination sign until the end of production.

The 60-foot, articulated version was introduced in 1992. Only 16 of these TC60-102N buses were ever sold: 14 to Halifax Transit in Halifax, Nova Scotia and 2 to the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) in Quebec City, Quebec. NovaBus discontinued the 60-foot articulated version when it took over production from MCI. This bus is not to be confused with the General Motors TA60-102N, which was a 60-foot articulated version of the New Look with the front end of a Classic. This was actually GM's way of testing the newly designed Classic style front end, but on a tried and tested body.

Model designation

Classic model numbers use the following format:

The first letter indicates the type of bus it is (T for transit), followed by the model (C for Classic), the length in feet, the width in inches, and an A for air conditioning or N for no air conditioning. There were only two primary models of Classic buses produced; a 40-foot and 60-foot. Both of which were 102-inches wide. Thus, the 40-foot Classic model number was TC40-102A/N and the TC60-102N.

Manufacturing history

General Motors TC40-102N

Total: 1,090 units

• 1983: 104 units
• 1984: 318 units
• 1985: 248 units
• 1986: 281 units
• 1987: 139 units

Motor Coach Industries TC40-102N

Total: 2,382 units

• 1987: 132 units
• 1988: 481 units
• 1989: 449 units
• 1990: 585 units
• 1991: 467 units
• 1992: 256 units
• 1993: 12 units

Nova Bus TC40-102N

Total: 1,192 units

• 1993: 113 units
• 1994: 480 units
• 1995: 150 units
• 1996: 425 units
• 1997: 24 units

Motor Coach Industries TC60-102N

Total: 12 units

• 1992: 9 units
• 1993: 3 units

Nova Bus TC60-102N

• 1993: 4 units