Bus Stop Classic Oddities: Superior Coach Company “Avenue”, “Supercruiser”, and “Pioneer FMC” Buses – Less Than Superior

North and South American CC readers are likely familiar with the products of Superior Coach Company – you may have ridden in a Superior school bus “back in the day.”  School buses were the company’s main claim to fame, though they were also a major player in the Professional car market.  But as with any company, they had their “ups and downs” – let’s take a look at three somewhat obscure Superior buses that were less than a hit with customers.

This bus was recently donated to the Conneaut (Ohio) Area Historical Society – it had been in the basement of a warehouse for over 60 years. The goal is to restore it. Photo by Sid Walker

 

Late 1940’s-early 50’s Superior “Avenue” Urban Transit Bus.  Until recently, I never knew Superior took a stab at the transit bus market, but here it is.  A 25-30 foot rear-engined model.  Rather than using an OEM chassis, Superior developed its own in-house and allowed customers to choose an engine. This one has a Hercules JXD, a popular model during and after the war.  It’s a 320 cu. in. (5.2L) gasoline in-line straight six L-head, with 86 hp and 200 ft lbs of torque.  It was a low compression design, so it could run on 76 octane fuel.  I couldn’t find any production figures for the bus, but it’s likely only a few were made before Superior pulled the plug around 1952.

1957-77 Superior Supercruiser.  Superior made this large rear-engined model, in 35 and 40 foot lengths.  It used mostly a GMC RM 7500 chassis with a variety of engine options; gas and diesel.  Competing with similar models from Crown, Gillig, Blue Bird, Carpenter, and others, it was never a big seller.  But it had a more successful life south of the border where it was license-built and used in both urban transit and intercity roles, mainly in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.

1978-80 Superior Pioneer FC.  This one is even more obscure – other than these advertisements, I couldn’t find any pictures of this bus.  It was a medium-duty model used mostly for shuttle and para-transit work.  It appears to have been built for three years in the late 70’s in small numbers, until Superior went out of business and was liquidated by its parent company in 1980.

The “Superior” name went through several owners, and today S&S/Superior Coach Company is located near the old Superior bus factory in Lima Ohio, where it manufactures a Cadillac platform-based hearse.