Based on surveys of the major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, motorcoach sales from the participating manufacturers saw a jump in sales for the 30- to 40-foot and 40- to 45-foot buses, with year-over-year sales remaining high, according to the American Bus Association Foundation’s third quarter 2019 Motorcoach Builder Survey.

While there as a slight dip in new 45-foot buses (-2.9%) year-over-year from 484 units in 2018 to 470 units in 2019. The smaller bus market saw significant growth. The third quarter produced the largest number of 40- to 45-foot bus sales for the year at 14, compared to only one sold in Q318. The 30- to 40-foot motorcoach sales grew 68% over the same quarter last year going from 19 in 2018 to 32 units sold in 2019.

In total, year-over-year sales remained nearly the same in the third quarter with 727 (516 new and 211 used) buses sold in 2019 vs 732 (504 new and 228 used) in 2018.

“The rise in the smaller motorcoaches mirrors the trend we have been talking about for some time now: people want smaller, intimate trips with friends and family,” said Peter Pantuso, president of the ABA Foundation. “Our passengers want unique personalized trips and that means smaller groups taking more trips. The industry is now doing a fantastic job meeting the needs of all customers, large and small.”

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