Prevost (/ˈpreɪvoʊ/, French pronunciation: [pʁevo], formally known as Prevost Car) is a Canadian manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. The company is a subsidiary of the Volvo Buses division of the Volvo Group.[1]
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Type | Subsidiary |
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Industry | Manufacturing |
Founded | 1924 |
Headquarters | Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada |
Products | Coaches RV (Coach Products) |
Parent | Volvo Buses (1995-present) |
Website | prevostcar |
![]() | This History reads like a press release or a news article and may be largely based on routine coverage. (July 2021) |
The company was founded in 1924 by Eugène Prévost (1898–1965), a cabinet maker specializing in church pews and school furniture, who in 1924 was asked to build a custom bus body for a new REO truck chassis. Les Ateliers Prévost, as the company was then called, received several repeat orders. Between 1937 and 1939, Prevost Car's first bus manufacturing plant was built. Initially the vehicles were built around a wooden frame. In 1945 this changed, and bodies were made of metal.
The company was acquired by Paul Normand in 1957. In 1969, two American businessmen formed a partnership with André Normand, then President of Prevost, to become the company's owners. These three men, in turn, sold Prevost to Volvo Bus Corporation in 1995.[2]
As of February 2007, the firm has 1,337 employees.
As of June 2019, Prevost operates 15 parts and service centers in North America, nine of them in the United States.[3]
For 2006, the XLII was revised to become the X3-45. The H3-45 received a new sound system, plus GPS and destination sign options.
Starting in 2007, Prevost buses have a diesel particulate filter, to meet the 2007 EPA emissions standards. 2007 models also have a 14 liter Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine, up from 12.7 liters on previous models.
For the 2008 model year, Prevost introduced the Volvo D13 engine from their parent company as a replacement for the then-current Detroit Diesel Series 60 offering. The Volvo I-Shift semi-automatic transmission was introduced as an alternative to the Allison B500R transmission. A set of new interior color schemes was also introduced.
Since 2009, Prevost has distributed the Volvo 9700 bus in North America.
Beginning in 2011, the Prevost X3-45 is available in a transit configuration, with bi-fold doors instead of a sedan-type door. The New York City Transit Authority was the launch customer for this configuration. Previously, 20 transit-style buses in the LeMirage predecessor model had been built for GO Transit in the late 1990s.
In 2019, the X3-45 was redesigned, getting a new headlight setup and a new rear end. It continues to be available in intercity and transit configurations.
Passenger Coaches | |||||
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Photo | Model | Production | Length(s) | Configuration(s) | Notes |
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H-Series[4] | 1985–present
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Intercity Coach | |
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X3-45 2nd Generation | 2019–present | 45 feet | Intercity Coach
Transit Coach |
Redesigned X3-45 introduced in 2019 |
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Volvo 9700[5] | 2009–present | Intercity Coach | Assembled in Mexico by Volvo | |
Conversion Coaches | |||||
Photo | Model | Production | Length(s) | Configuration(s) | Notes |
X3-45 VIP[6] | 2006–present | 45 feet | Motorhome
Coach |
Marathon Coach, Liberty Coach, Emerald Luxury Coaches, Millennium Coach, and Featherlite Coachconversion. | |
H3-45 VIP[4] | 1994–present | 45 feet | Motorhome
Coach |
Marathon Coach, Liberty Coach, Emerald Luxury Coaches, Millennium Coach, and Featherlite Coachconversion. |
Ground Force One is the nickname given to two heavily modified X3-45 VIP conversion coach owned by the United States Secret Service and used by the President of the United States and other high-ranking politicians or dignitaries.[7] Prevost built the coach as a conversion shell, the Hemphill Brothers Coach Company fitted out the interiors of the coach, and it is assumed that other features, like armor plating, were added by the Secret Service.[8]
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4.8–5.1 L | |
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Volvo BXXR | |
Olympian | |
1960s–70s chassis | |
1930s chassis |
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