The CROWN Bus Chronicles    <Back   Next>

Crown Corporation was in the business of building bus bodies from 1904 until  1991. During that time, a huge variety of body styles were manufactured. By far, the most common and familiar are the classic 'Super Coach' design buses, which are in school bus fleet service all over the country.

The basic body style of Crown Coaches has not changed since the 1940's. Only small cosmetic variations differentiate early Crowns from their latest counterparts.  Early Coaches have short windshields, which are about the same height as the side passenger windows.

The most common engine is the Cummins 220, which is a six cylinder, 746 cubic-inch diesel engine developing 220 horsepower. One factory option was to put a turbo on a Cummins 220 engine, which boosted the output to 262 horsepower. These engines are very well regarded by truckers, powerful, long lasting, and easy to get parts for. Many school districts bought 220's and later upgraded them to 262's with the addition of a turbo and lower compression pistons.i      (from Crown Advisor)