Crown Coach Corporation (1914 - 1991) was a school bus manufacturer based in Los Angeles, California, eventually moving factory operations to Chino, California in San Bernadino County. Both factories have since been razed. The property in Los Angeles is now a manufacturing center and the office and paint shed of the Chino property stood for a while longer and were eventually torn down as well. General Electric supposedly owns the site. Since a large number of 30-plus year old Crown school buses are still in service, replacement parts are supplied by West Coach, a company started by a group of former Crown Coach employees. Crown Coach was the creator of the original large, flat nose (transit style or "Type D"), high capacity school bus. Their first example appeared in 1932. That vehicle still exists. Beginning as a motorized truck builder, Crown expanded into passenger vehicles and quit building trucks. Working with Tanner Grey Line of Los Angeles, Crown designed the well known art-deco 'Twinkie' shaped coach that eventually led to a school coach utilizing unibody construction, mid-ship underfloor mounted commercial truck engines (often by the Detroit Diesel company or Cummins) and off the shelf parts, which made them economical to operate. Starting with steel skins, Crown later switched to rust resistant aluminum panels. As regulations changed, the coach evolved into one of the safest, most reliable school buses. They were so well built that one of the factors that forced Crown to shut down was their product's extremely long life. Districts would send in their aging Crowns for rebuild and repaint and be returned looking nearly new. The service life of the average school bus is approximately ten years. There are many Crowns over 20 years old still plying the roads of California, and in private use as converted coaches. Many Crowns retired by school districts in the U.S. continue to serve in Mexico as local transit buses, private charters, and even cross-country tour coaches. From 1951 to 1985, Crown Coach Corporation was also a manufacturer of fire apparatus under the Firecoach brand. The company also has links to the Crown Carriage Company, a carriage maker founded in 1904.
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Products
Firecoach Division
Crown built 880 Firecoach products in the line's lifetime (1951-1985)
- Firecoach 1949-1985 - pumpers , tillers, aerials and tenders
- 50', 75' and 85' Snorkels or platforms (75' Pittman Snorkel)
- 54', 55', 75' TeleSqurts
- 100' mid or rear mount aerials
- 100' Maxim ladder
- 100' tillered aerial-ladder truck
- Firecoach Squad
- Water Tenders (tankers)
- enclosed or open cab pumpers
Crown also built Firecoaches on various truck bodies:
- Ford C-850, C700
- International Harvester
- Pierce-Crown
- Chevrolet Silverado chassis pumper
Crown also built custom fire vehicles from Supercoach and Firecoach chassis:
- 28 foot bus for LA County FD 1958
- custom built bulldozer transport using Firecoach aerial tractor for LA County FD
- mobile hospital/ambulance - using Supercoach body
- Heavy Utility tow truck using Firecoach chassis for LAFD
- open cab rescue truck using Firecoach chassis for Honolulu Fire Department
- strip down Firecoach pumper chassis for Los Angeles City Fire Department Shops
- 4 door wide cab Crown Firecoach 1979 for Mammoth Lakes Fire Department - only 3 built
- 2 axle trailer water tank/50' telesqurt for Tulare, CA Fire Department 1975
Motorcoach Division
Motor Homes/Tour Coaches
- Motorcoach/Tourcoach
Highway Coaches
- Highway Coaches
- Intercity Coaches
City Transit Buses
During the Post War period Crown built Ford Transit buses. Crown built the Coachette City Bus from 1961-62.
Transit Buses
Buses were built in 35' and 40' lengths:
- Transit Coach - Crown Ikarus 286 and Crown Ikarus 416 from Hungary
School Buses
Crown's school buses were built various chassis arrangements. Chassis lengths included 32', 35', 38', 40'. Axles arrangements included 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4. The buses seated 33 to 57 passengers.
- Crown Model B-3
- Crown Model D
- Supercoach - boat tail and round tail versions from the 1930s to the 1980s
- Supercoach II (a Gillig Phantom school bus-inspired redesign of the original Supercoach)
Others
Specialty Vehicles
- Security Jail Coaches 1950s - 35' and 40' chassis; 42-64 passengers
- Mobile Command unit/Crown Coach HPO Bookmobile for Apple Valley
Trucks
- truck cabs and bodies 1910s
- Federal truck chassis
Aircraft Division
Crown made aircraft from 1925 to 1933.
- Kinner Airster Biplanes
Engines
- Hall-Scott
- Cummins
- Detroit inlines
- Detroit V8s
