| Manufacturer | Navistar International |
|---|---|
| Production | 1990-2010 |
| Predecessor | International Harvester 1853FC |
| Successor | none |
| Class | Type D (transit-style) |
| Layout |
Bare chassis
|
| Body style(s) | school bus chassis commercial bus chassis |
| Engine(s) |
Diesel (International DT)
|
| Transmission(s) | Automatic (Allison) |
| Vehicles |
|
| Related | International 3800 |
The International 3900 was a front-engine Type D bus chassis manufactured by Navistar International, used for school bus applications. It was the replacement for the 1853-FC chassis, based on the S-Series "Schoolmaster" introduced in the late 1970s. Introduced in 1990, the 3900 was produced until 2010.
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Early in its production life, the 3900 was widely used in the school bus industry by body manufacturers as a replacement for the General Motors S7 and the Asia Smith chassis. In 1993, both Carpenter and Wayne Wheeled Vehicles both switched chassis suppliers, leaving AmTran and Canadian manufacturer Corbeil as the sole users of the 3900; Corbeil switched to a rear-engine design before abandoning production of Type D buses for good in 2000. Corbeil's transit-style buses (nor any of their other full-size offerings) were never sold in the United States.
The final bus model that used the 3900 chassis was the FE300 from IC Bus, which was an evolution of the Ward Senator from 1990. In 2010, IC discontinued production of the FE with no replacement currently announced. They continue to offer Type B, Type C, and rear-engined Type D buses.
Buses produced on the 3900 include:
| Manufacturer | Model Name | Production Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Transportation Corporation (AmTran) |
Genesis FE |
1992-1997 1998-2002 |
The AmTran Genesis and AmTran FE are evolutions of the Ward Senator. |
| Carpenter Industries, Inc. |
Counselor FE | 1991–1992 | In 1993, Carpenter switched to a chassis from Spartan Motors |
| Les Enterprises Michel Corbeil, Inc. | EMC 1st Premier | 1991-1999 | The 1st Premier was never sold outside of Canada. |
| IC Bus | IC FE300 | 2003–2010 | IC Bus was the final user of the 3900 in school bus form. |
| Ward School Bus Manufacturing, Inc. | Senator | 1990–1992 | The Ward Senator was the first bus to use the 3900 chassis. |
| Wayne Corporation | Lifestar | 1991–1992 | In 1993, Wayne Wheeled Vehicles restarted production of the Lifestar with a chassis from Crane Carrier Corporation. |
Much like its predecessor borrowed its powertrain and suspension components from the S-Series "Schoolmaster", the 3900 was mechanically related to the 3800 (which was a cowl-chassis version of the International 4700/4900.
The International 3900 was only produced with diesel-fueled engines throughout its production life. All of them were sourced from Navistar International. Unlike the rear-engined 3000, only 6-cylinder engines (all from the DT engine family) were used.
Unlike the 3800 conventional, the International 3900 was only produced with automatic transmissions.
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