(first posted 3/12/2013) Yesterday’s post on the vintage Kenworth bus reminded me of a couple of their more distinctive designs. The GMC-Greyhound bi-level Scenicruiser was iconic, and set off a rash of imitators world-wide. Based on a design of Raymond Loewy supposedly inspired by an earlier patent by Roland E. Gegoux, it was hailed as a stylistic and practical breakthrough. But it was anything but new or original, as this 1937 Kenworth bus illustrates quite well. It was used in the Pacific North West for a number of years. But was it original? Is anything?
Here’s an even earlier inbusnation of the hi-lo design, from 1929. It also plied the North West, some ten years earlier. And just for fun, here’s another unique design from the ever creative North West; Eugene’s own Sail Bus:
I saw some references to the Bi-Level bus in my very limited research on my post yesterday and was intrigued, but didn’t head down any rabbit holes to dig up any pictures of them. Thanks for these.
OK, yesterday it was a camper on top of a truck. Today it’s a boat on top of a bus. I can’t wait to see what the double decker attraction is for tomorrow. Maybe . . . .
Wow, the chicken hearse! Well, would you believe that there was actually MORE than one of those???
A similar one burnt up in a fire in Indianoplace back in 2010:
http://www.wthr.com/global/story.asp?s=12441613
And yet another chicken hearse (albeit with a much smaller chicken on the roof) is owned by the owner of Gus’s Fried Chicken in Memphis, TN.
Boyhowdies do I learn more new, completely useless but super-fun automotive trivia every day here!
Idea that would never, ever, enter my mind to Google: chicken hearse
There was a chicken limo down here in Miami, it was used to advertise a restaurant.
Interestingly enough, it was also a 1974 Cadillac like the chicken hearse above, and there is also the yellow 73-74 98 Oldsmochicken, is it something about the full size GM cars from this period that makes them the vehicle of choice for chicken car conversion specialists everywhere? Have they ever tried to downsize the chicken mobile to a 1977 and up GM car, or even…a FWD Chickenmobile?
America isn’t ready for that….
Need I say more?
that’s an abomination!!!
Nevermind the chicken head —who’d ever hear of painting an Olds this wacky shade of Yellow?
Must be slow in Oregon today…
Old buses are interesting for sure, but the next time I get out to California I am going to ride the Pacific Starlight and one of those bubble top lounge cars. What a delight.
We did a stretch of it last summer in Oregon: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/a-legal-train-ride-over-willamette-summit/
With the way the front end is painted, it looks like the VW T1 Microbus/Transporter in a way.
Go full screen on that first photo, the ’37 KW, and look at the driver. He’s down in-between those huge front wheels. In the center? Interior front wheel wells must be wide.
It’s not cab-over, it’s cab inside! So low, I love it.
The high center headlight makes the front end look like a diesel locomotive.
It’s a curious bus; so low in the front. Why did they bother? And it’s not all that big; only 8 rows of seats, so about 33 passengers. It’s probably only about 30-32′ long; at the most.
Bus designs were evolving quickly then, and this one is a bit of an odd duck.
It’s too bad there’s not someone standing beside the bus in that first pic, to provide scale. It looks tiny, but somehow I feel like those front tires are bigger than I think, and the whole thing is bigger than it looks.
I wonder if any of them survived.
Those look like typical West Coast 24″ truck wheels. This bus is not very big at all, only 8 rows of seats; maybe 30-32′ long. Much shorter (and way lower) than any modern intercity bus.
Perhaps not that much shorter, they look to have a lot more legroom than a modern bus!
Boomer at busconversions.com said:
The excellent picture that you posted is of a deck and a half, or “decker” as North Coast referred to them. During the ’30’s Kenworth quite often relied on out of house body builders to furnish the body that went on the KW chassis. The body on the bus pictured was built by either Heiser or TriCoach and the bus had a Hall Scott 180. Most of the NCL coaches, including the Kenworth W-1’s had the distinctive round NCL light on the upper front.
Thanks for the informative post!
Gads would I love to have one of these – beautifully restored with that two-tone paint job (I’m thinking fire engine red/white), it would really draw a crowd at any auto show. Plus you could haul all of your gear (and family, and friends, and pets) in it! A restomod with a modern drivetrain would be just the ticket (can you imagine having to trailer it around?).
I’m so sick of what the street rod scene has become – the 1930s Ford coupes have almost become parodies of themselves, and the modern-day rods are well into the 6 figures (a far, far cry from the beginnings of hot rods which were often made by teens that couldn’t afford to even buy a new car). OK, I’m off the soapbox now!
I love how low that old KW bus is. It makes the newer buses that have everything but the luggage up on top of the frame look like older designs. Oh, I’m sure the tall buses work better….
Does anyone remember the movie from 1976 called The Big Bus?
Yes, Motor Trend did an article on it in their April issue right before the movie came out.
That movie’s a guilty pleasure of mine. I first saw it as a kid in the early 80’s, and then when Comedy Central aired it once, in the 90’s, I realized that the version I had been used to, had been edited for content! For some reason the phrase “No wind resistance! We’re breaking wind at 90!” was deemed too offensive for over-the-airwaves tv”.
I wasted a lot of my college years looking through old MotorTrends and such at the library, and remember coming across that issue. The “Big Bus” was in their April issue, and done up as a serious article, as an April Fool’s joke!
Quite a beautifull hunka bus!
Me I like it so different to the locally bodied stuff.
Spotted this from one of the websites that I peruse….
What a great tow truck! I tried enlarging it, but cannot ID it. Anyone?
I have a thing for tow trucks made from large, expensive vintage cars.
Looks like a cut-down touring car.
I’m thinking Stutz, but I’ll have to check into it.
I have a lot to learn about this vintage, but there’s enough to go on. It can be done!
Maybe a ’29ish La Salle with that complicated double side moulding, and is that a LaS emblem between the headlights. Was the photo taken in New Zealand? We were great recyclers of everything automotive.
I can’t work it out, although from the steeply-pitched roofs and 3-storey building at the end of the street I’m guessing it’s not Australian unless perhaps inner Sydney.
I’ve read there used to be a Lancia Dilambda (a V8 model) used as a tow truck in Melbourne, which at one time recovered a decent-sized vehicle that had gone onto the railway tracks beside Flinders Street – a 15-20 foot drop.
This was done all-too often with older big cars from the classic and even earlier ere. These cars were built heavy and tough. I’ve read the favorite brand to turn into a tow truck was the Locomobile, which was literally built like a five-ton truck in every way. They were sought after for that purpose, especially since big older cars back then were going for peanuts.
This photo just popped up on Facebook again today, on the “Old time photos of cars trucks buses and service stations” group. (try saying that three times quickly!). Here’s the story, as supplied by David Panther. As often happens, folk chime in with additional info and memories etc.
“FROM LIMOUSINE TO TOW TRUCK. SYDNEY 1938
This Sam Hood photo was taken in Sydney in 1938, showing a bus being towed. The interesting thing about the shot is the tow vehicle: which is a converted 1929 Cadillac roadster, owned by Arnold’s Towing Services.
▪️It is testament to the build and strength of the Cadillac that having served it’s days as a luxury motor car, it could be converted to such industrial use. This by the way, was not an uncommon practise. Many quality vehicles underwent similar conversions.
(photo credit. Sam Hood)”
Some of the bigger old Pierce – Arrows were converted into fire trucks.
I’ll see your Kenworth and raise you this 1927 Lancia Omicron.
http://www.tramroma.com/autobusroma/rete_urb/autobus/rotabili/autrot_15.htm (scroll down a bit)
http://www.lancia.com/#/history-and-design/history/commercial-vehicles/ (click on Lancia Omicron)
That thing is amazing! Some fascinating info and pics at the links you posted too, thank you.
Love the K-Whoppers and that Lancia. That is a corker although the stability seems not good – center of gravity problems. Thanks for bringing this older article to the forefront for us relative newbies.
Some of the bigger old Pierce – Arrow s were even converted to fire trucks.
Pierce Arrow built trucks as did Packard so no conversion needed Cadillac also built commercial chassis not just cars.