WASHINGTON – Sales of new motorcoaches remained unchanged in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016.
The American Bus Association Foundation’s Coach Manufacturer Survey reported that 547 new coaches were sold in the first three months of this year, the same number as last year.
“Last year, especially the fourth quarter, was very strong for motorcoach sales,” said ABA Foundation President Peter Pantuso. “We are seeing the same trend for 2017. The industry continues to grow and we have seen an upward trajectory with sales over the past few years since the end of the recession.”
The strongest segment during the first quarter was 45-foot coaches, with 390 purchased by private-sector companies, an 18.5 percent increase from last year’s first quarter. Sales of 45-foot coaches to the public sector totaled 104, down slightly from 113 last year.
Sales of smaller motorcoaches, which had been increasing in recent years, dropped off significantly in the first three months of 2017.
“We did see an increase in bigger buses this quarter, which is always a good sign for group travel,” Pantuso said. “While the quarter over quarter remained unchanged, the first quarter is usually a slower period for sales, but we expect sales of all sizes of coaches to pick up through the year.”
Other survey results included:
- Sales of pre-owned motorcoaches totaled 256, down from 268 last year.
- Shell sales totaled 14, up from five.
- Cummins had the highest number of engines in the new coaches, with 306, followed by Volvo with 104, Detroit with 112 and Mercedes with three.
- All of the new coaches had Allison transmissions.
