New Coach Sales Continued Rising in 2016, Topping 2,400

WASHINGTON — Sales of new motorcoaches increased by 3 percent in 2016, topping 2,000 for only the second year since 2008.

Combined private and public-sector sales of new MCI, Prevost, Setra, Van Hool and Volvo motorcoaches totaled 2,407 last year, up from 2,337 in 2015.

Prior to 2015, the last time annual new coach sales topped 2,000 was in 2008, the start of the Great Recession, when sales totaled 2,017. Sales of new coaches dropped to 1,654 in 2009 and to 1,153 in 2010 and have been increasing every year since then.
The sales numbers are compiled for the American Bus Association Foundation’s Coach Manufacturer Survey.

Here is a breakdown of the sales figures for new motorcoaches sold in 2016:

·         Sales of coaches to private operators totaled 1,990 last year, up from 1,795 in 2015.

·         Sales to public-transit agencies dropped to 417 in 2016 from 542 in 2015.

·         Forty-five-foot coaches made up the bulk of the purchases in 2016, with private and public sales totaling 2,072.

·         Sixty-nine 40- to 45-foot coaches and 266 30- to 40-foot coaches were sold last year.

Missing from the ABA Foundation report are sales of Temsa and CAIO coaches. Sales of pre-owned motorcoaches improved to 1,213 last year compared with 1,061 in 2015, a 14.3 percent increase.

“2016 was a stellar year for motorcoach manufacturers,” ABA Foundation President Peter Pantuso said. “As the industry continues to grow, operators are reinvesting their profits back into the comfort for their passengers.”

Sales of new smaller coaches – those between 30 and 40 feet long – have been growing steadily in recent years, reflecting the increased popularity of specialty tours catering to smaller groups, Pantuso said. Eighty-two more of the smaller coaches were sold last year than in 2015.

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