Optima Bus Corporation

Optima Bus, LLC

Formerly	Chance Coach Inc. (1976–2003) Optima Bus Corporation (2003-2007)
Industry	Bus manufacturing
Founded	1976 (as Chance Coach Inc.)
Defunct	2010
Headquarters	Wichita, Kansas
Products	Transit buses
Parent	American Capital Strategies (1998-2006) NABI, Inc. (2006-2010)
Website	www.optimabus.com (archived link)

Optima Bus, LLC, formerly Chance Coach Inc., was a brand of small transit buses manufactured by North American Bus Industries. It was established in 1976 in Wichita, Kansas.

It was originally the trolley-replica and conventional bus production business of Chance Industries, Inc. In 1998, Chance Coach, Inc. was sold to American Capital Strategies, ^[1] which rebranded the company as Optima Bus Corporation in 2003. ^[2] American Capital subsequently sold Optima to North American Bus Industries, who closed the Kansas assembly plant on August 8, 2007, with production moved to their existing plant in Anniston, Alabama. ^[3] Optima Bus was owned by North American Bus Industries, Inc. ^[4] until 2010 when NABI discontinued the production of its Optima and Blue Bird brand commercial bus products.

Models

Logo used from 2003 to 2007

An Opus run by the Red Rose Transit Authority.

RIPTA CNG trolley replica #18

• Opus: under 30 ft (9.14 m) or under 35 ft (10.67 m) low-floor bus; designed in collaboration with Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus' international Expotech division ^[5]
  • Opus ISE Series Hybrid: hybrid version of the Opus. ^[6] It utilizes ISE-Siemens ThunderVolt hybrid technology built around Siemens ELFA motors, generators and inverters.
• American Heritage Streetcar AH-28 - trolley-style body on bus chassis

Pace RT-52 in Niles, Illinois.

• RT-52: a front-engined small-sized transit bus measuring 25 feet 11 inches (7.90 metres) in length. It was primarily used as a shuttle bus, and normally carried 19 passengers. The maximum passenger capacity was 23 passengers. Powered by an inline 6-cylinder Cummins 6BTA5.9 turbo diesel engine displacing 5.9 litres ; 359.0 cubic inches (5,883 cubic centimetres ), coupled to an Allison MT643 manual transmission, its gross vehicle weight (GVW) was 24,000 pounds (11,000 kilograms), its wheelbase was 170 inches (4,300 millimetres), and it was 96 inches (2,400 millimetres) wide. ^[7]

The RT-52 was used in the Wiki Wiki Shuttle route at Honolulu International Airport. The first wiki site, called WikiWikiWeb, was named by its programmer, Ward Cunningham, after this line of buses. ^[8] The buses were also purchased by Pace, primarily for use in Niles, Illinois; all have now been retired, with the last one running service routes in May 2007.

• Sunliner: an open-air towed tram used at various parks and zoos in the United States and Canada

References

1. Conkling, Judy (15 March 1998). "Chance Coach sold to Maryland firm". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-04-23.
2. Dinell, David, "Chance Coach Inc. will be renamed Optima Bus Corp." Wichita Business Journal, January 15, 2003.
3. www.kansas.com
4. "Home". optimabus.com.
5. "Transformed Electronics Manufacturing". Industry Today. Vol. 8, no. 4. 2005. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
6. isecorp.com, 08-12-13
7. "Triennial Reviews – List of Buses Tested as of August 2005". www.FTA.DoT.Gov. Federal Transit Administration. 2008-09-24. Archived from the original on 2008-09-24.
8. "Correspondence on the Etymology of Wiki". C2.com. Ward Cunningham. November 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2022.

External links

• Buses portal

• Optima page on North American Bus Industries site
• Opus ISE Series Hybrid Bus