| Type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1924 |
| Headquarters | Sainte-Claire, Quebec, Canada |
| Products | Coach Buses |
| Parent | Volvo Group |
| Website | Official website |
Prevost is a Quebec, Canada-based manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions.
The company now owns Nova Bus and in turn is owned by Volvo Bus Corporation.[1]
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The company was first founded in 1924 by Eugène Prevost (1899–1965), a cabinet maker specializing in the production of church pews and school furniture, who in 1924 was asked to build a custom bus body for a brand new REO truck chassis. Les Ateliers Prévost, as the company was then called, received several repeat orders. Between 1937-1939 Provost Car's first bus manufacturing plant was built. Initially the vehicles were built around a wooden frame but in 1945 this was changed so that the bodies were all made of metal.
The company was acquired by Paul Normand in 1957. In 1969, two American businessmen, Thomas Harbison and William Campbell, 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]
The company now (February 2007) has 1,337 employees and operates six parts and service centers located across North America.
The latest models saw the XLII thoroughly revised, now with a longer wheelbase to provide more storage and a smoother ride. This, along with many other changes, marked the beginning of the new X3-45.
The flagship H3-45 received some further enhancements in 2006 with GPS and a destination sign made an option. As well as this, the new Delta sound system was also developed to provide improved sound throughout the cabin.
For the new EPA 2007 Standards, Prevost now offers an innovative installation of the Diesel Particulate Filter and the Rooftop Diffuser for Increased Safety, Performance, Serviceability and Security. The standard Detroit Diesel has been uprated from 12.7 litres to 14 litres for the model year 2007.
For the 2008 model year, Prevost introduced a new Volvo D13 engine from their parent company as a replacement for the then-current Detroit Diesel Series 60 offering. The Volvo I-Shift semiautomatic transmission was introduced as an option to the Allison B500R transmission. A set of new interior colour schemes were also developed for the 2008 model year to provide a modern feel to the interior. There are three "trim levels" ranging from fabric to leather and wood.
Beginning with 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 is 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.
Prevost is also the North American builder of the Volvo 9700 motorcoach.
"Ground Force One" is the nickname given to the custom modified X3-45 shells used by US President Barack Obama.[3] The interiors were fitted out by Tennessee-based Hemphill Brothers Coach Company and it is assumed that other custom features were added by the US Secret Service.[4] A similar bus with a Prevost shell (when the model was known as the LeMirage XL-II) was used by then-President George W. Bush in the 2004 campaign.[5]
Passenger coaches:
Bus shells:
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