History of Coach Buses

Did you know the great French mathematician Blaise Pascale designed the first bus line? It was a testament to his mechanical ability. In his design, he created a device capable of transporting people according to a specific schedule.

It would be another 223 years before Karl Benz built the first automobile. The history of coach buses is a testament to how we rely on convenient transportation to move people and goods across vast distances.

How exactly did the first Coach buses start?

During the 19th century, the omnibus and trolley became common in cities throughout the United States and Europe. As we stated above, it was the invention of the automobile in 1885 that led to the eventual rise of the modern coach bus.

Before then people called horse-drawn buses charabancs. They dominated the bus scene. Motorized versions replaced the horse-drawn charabancs before World War II.

Windsor1844Louis-PhilippeMarie-AmélieRoyalPartyCharabancJosephNash edited.jpg
Public Domain, Link

Other changes at the time fostered growth in the motor bus industry. The first was the creation of bus companies like Greyhound Lines who built a nationwide network of buses.

Like many businesses they suffered during the Great Depression but were able to pick up speed as Depression-era movies showed movie stars using buses to travel across the nation.

It was the equivalent of Michael Jordan endorsing Nike sneakers or Betty White promoting Snicker Bars. People flocked to the product their favorite celebrity endorsed, and bus ridership rose dramatically.

Modern Coach Buses

The coach bus got a considerable boost in 1955 when President Dwight Eisenhower signed the interstate highway bill. With the growth in highways, buses could navigate the country in a way that was not possible previously. The charter bus industry blossomed


By Pimvantend – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

It was also the beginning of desegregation. As transportation became easier for more people to reach, more people of color traveled on coach buses.

The changes would culminate in a seismic shift in the 1970’s when bus companies hired African American men and women drivers.

Become a part of history and get a coach bus for your upcoming trip

Taking a detour from this history, we want to talk about a momentous event in the history of coach buses. The year was 2007. It was a time when three young bus operators established Chicago Motor Coach, Inc.

Since that time, we helped countless groups use coach buses to attend local and national events. If you want to be a part of our history, contact us at 847-260-9797 to schedule your next trip.

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