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{| align="right" class="wikitable"
{| align="right" class="wikitable"
|-  
|-  
! align="center" colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;" | <big>GM / MCI / Nova - Classic</big>
! align="center" colspan="2" style="background:#efefef;" | <big>GM / MCI / Nova Classic</big>
|-  
|-  
|colspan="2"| [[Image:Classic001.JPG|270px|]]
|colspan="2"| [[File:Calgary Transit 5002-a.jpg|300px|]]
|-
|-
| align="center" colspan="2" | [[GM]] / [[MCI]] / [[Nova Bus|Nova]] - Classic
| '''Years of manufacture''' || 1982 to 1997
|-
|-
| '''Years of manufacture''' || 1982 - 1997
| '''Length''' || 40 or 60 feet  
|-
| '''Length''' || 40 - 60 feet  
|-
|-
| '''Width''' || 102 inches
| '''Width''' || 102 inches
Line 16: Line 14:
|}
|}


The '''[[General Motors Diesel Division|GM]] Classic''' was a modern design of the popular [[General Motors Diesel Division Buses|GM]] [[New Look]] transit coach. The Classic was produced from 1982 to 1997, and was a favorite among transit agencies in both Canada and the United States.  
The '''Classic''' was an updated design of the popular [[General Motors Diesel Division|General Motors]] [[New Look]] transit bus. The Classic was produced from 1982 to 1997 by three manufacturers: General Motors, [[MCI]], and [[Nova Bus]].  


==History==
==History==
When GM in the United States decided to replace the [[New Look]] with the [[Rapid Transit Series|RTS]]II series in 1977, they hoped that they would win over operators in both the US and Canada. But the design and the futuristic look turned off Canadian transit operators. So in 1979 GM Canada's Transit division decided to continue producing New Looks until 1982, when it unveiled the Classic. Several orders for New Looks were still accepted, built and delivered until 1986 for U.S. properties, although the buses were made in Canada.
[[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]] in the United States decided to replace the [[New Look]] with the [[Rapid Transit Series|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.


The buses proved to be a hit among not only operators in Canada, but in the United States, where the [[Utah Transit Authority]] would be the first US transit agency to buy the buses in 1984.  
[[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 1993. 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 the [[Société de transport de l'Outaouais]] in Gatineau, Quebec.


In 1987 GM sold the transit bus division to [[Motor Coach Industries|MCI]] and [[Transportation Manufacturing Corporation|TMC]]. By 1992 the bus division changed hands again, this time going to [[Nova Bus]]. During the two transitions the Classics continued to be built until NovaBus ceased production on the coaches in 1997, as most agencies were favoring the new LFS low-floor model. The last ever Classics built were in Canada, in 1997, for Auger Metropolitain in Chateauguay, Quebec.
==Design==
The new front end of the Classic allowed for a wide front door, and on  later models produced for the United States, a wheelchair lift. Classics with wheelchair lifts have a noticeably taller front door. The rear doors were available in wide, double stream or narrow, single stream configurations.


NovaBus also made Classics in the US in 1995 and 1996 from its now-defunct New York state plant. That version are the ones now used by Buffalo, Connecticut, Rochester and Pittsburgh, who was the last transit agency in the U.S. to acquire Classics.
Until 1990, the front destination sign was smaller. Later models had a wider and taller sign space. However, it is noted that Montreal Area Classics retained the smaller front destination sign until the end of production.


==Models==
The 60-foot, articulated version of the Classic was introduced in 1992. Only 16 of these [[Nova Bus TC60-102N|TC60-102N]] buses were ever sold: 14 to [[Halifax Transit]] in Halifax, Nova Scotia and two to the [[Réseau de transport de la Capitale]] (RTC) in Quebec City, Quebec. [[Nova Bus]] 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 allowed [[General Motors Diesel Division|GM]] to test the newly designed Classic front end on the tried and tested New Look body.
Classic model numbers use the following format: The first letter indicates the type of bus it is (T for transit), next 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 (A being air conditioned, N for non-air conditioned) and the TC60-102N.  


The 60-foot version was not introduced until 1992, after [[Motor Coach Industries|MCI]] took over production of the Classic design, and only 16 of these [[Articulated Bus|articulated buses]] were ever sold (14 were sold to [[Metro Transit]] in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and 2 went 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 in 1993. This bus is not to be confused with the rather confusing TA60-102N, a 60-foot articulated version of the [[New Look]] manufactured by [[General Motors Diesel Division|GMDD]] in 1982, which had the body of a New Look but the front end of a Classic grafted on. This was actually [[General Motors Diesel Division|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:


Seating ranged from 39 to 52 seats and included handicapped-equipped lifts, which was optional for Canadian operators but was a must for American operators, who had to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 when it came to purchasing the coaches.
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 or N and the TC60-102N.
<center>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Series !! Type !! Length !! - !! Width !! Air conditioning
|-
|'''T''' = [[Transit Bus|transit bus]]
|nowrap|'''A''' = [[Articulated Bus|articulated]]<hr>'''C''' = Classic
|'''60''' = 60 feet (18 m)<hr>'''40''' = 40 feet (12 m)
|''' - '''
|nowrap|'''102''' = 102 inches (2.6 m)
|nowrap|'''A''' = air conditioned<br/>'''N''' = non-air conditioned
|}</center>


There were a lot of unique feature in the Classics, among them was in its exit doors, with most of the orders featuring wide-door versions while some opted for the narrow-door ones. Other modifications during its tenure was in its front destination sign windows, which had been narrow in its GM Canada/MCI 1982-1990 versions. MCI and later NovaBus would later widen it after 1990 as more transit systems ordered larger electronic destination signs to be included in their bus orders. The main exception was Montreal, as MCI/NovaBus built an 'M-version' (M referring to the Montreal edition) of the Classic, which continued with the narrow destination sign windows, which was ordered mainly by properties in the Montreal area up until Classic production ceased in 1997.
==Manufacturing history==
 
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
[[General Motors Diesel Division|GMDD]], [[Motor Coach Industries|MCI]] or [[Nova Bus]] never made a 35-foot version or a 96-inch version of the Classic.
! Manufacturer !! Year !!colspan="3"| TC40-120A/<br>TC40-102N !!colspan="3"| TC60-102N
|-
|rowspan="5"| [[General Motors]]
| 1983 ||colspan="2"| 104 ||rowspan="5"| [[General Motors TC40-102N|1,090]]
|-
| 1984 ||colspan="2"| 318
|-
| 1985 ||colspan="2"| 248
|-
| 1986 ||colspan="2"| 281
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1987 || 139 ||rowspan="2"| 271
|-
|rowspan="7"| [[Motor Coach Industries]]
| 132 ||rowspan="7"| [[Motor Coach Industries TC40-102N|2,382]] ||colspan="2" rowspan="5"|  ||rowspan="7"| [[Motor Coach Industries TC60-102N|12]]
|-
| 1988 ||colspan="2"| 481
|-
| 1989 ||colspan="2"| 449
|-
| 1990 ||colspan="2"| 585
|-
| 1991 ||colspan="2"| 467
|-
| 1992 ||colspan="2"| 256 ||colspan="2"| 9
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1993 || {{0}}12 ||rowspan="2"| 125 || 3 ||rowspan="2"| 7
|-
|rowspan="5"| [[Nova Bus]]
| 113 ||rowspan="5"| [[Nova Bus TC40-102N|1,192]] || 4 ||rowspan="5"| [[Nova Bus TC60-102N|{{0}}4]]
|-
| 1994 ||colspan="2"| 480
|-
| 1995 ||colspan="2"| 150
|-
| 1996 ||colspan="2"| 425
|-
| 1997 ||colspan="2"| {{0}}24
|-
|colspan="2"|'''Total'''
|colspan="3"|'''4,664'''
|colspan="3"|'''16'''
|}


[[Category:Transit Bus]]
[[Category:Transit Bus]]

Latest revision as of 17:35, 29 October 2020

GM / MCI / Nova Classic
Calgary Transit 5002-a.jpg
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 1993. 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 the Société de transport de l'Outaouais in Gatineau, Quebec.

Design

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

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

The 60-foot, articulated version of the Classic was introduced in 1992. Only 16 of these TC60-102N buses were ever sold: 14 to Halifax Transit in Halifax, Nova Scotia and two to the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) in Quebec City, Quebec. Nova Bus 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 allowed GM to test the newly designed Classic front end on the tried and tested New Look 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 or N and the TC60-102N.

Series Type Length - Width Air conditioning
T = transit bus A = articulated
C = Classic 		60 = 60 feet (18 m)
40 = 40 feet (12 m) 		- 102 = 102 inches (2.6 m) A = air conditioned
N = non-air conditioned

Manufacturing history

Manufacturer Year TC40-120A/
TC40-102N		 TC60-102N
General Motors 1983 104 1,090
1984 318
1985 248
1986 281
1987 139 271
Motor Coach Industries 132 2,382 12
1988 481
1989 449
1990 585
1991 467
1992 256 9
1993 012 125 3 7
Nova Bus 113 1,192 4 04
1994 480
1995 150
1996 425
1997 024
Total 4,664 16
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