American Transportation Corporation (better known as AmTran) was an American bus manufacturer. Headquartered in Conway, Arkansas, AmTran specialized in yellow school buses, alongside buses for other uses. Tracing its roots to Ward Body Works (established in 1933), The company was formed in 1980 following the bankruptcy of Ward to continue bus production.
In 1991, the company became a subsidiary of Navistar International, leading to a series of acquisitions of school bus body manufacturers by chassis suppliers during the 1990s. In 2000, Navistar rebranded AmTran by introducing the International IC, with other vehicles taking on International branding later. In 2002, the "AmTran" brand name was retired, as the name was changed to IC Corporation (IC Bus since 2009).
As with its predecessor company, AmTran corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities were located in Conway, Arkansas. In 2001, the company opened another manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma (where IC Bus currently assembles vehicles).
History
During the late 1970s, the school bus manufacturing industry was in relative turmoil. From the early 1950s, the segment was dependent on student population growth related to the baby-boom generation. By the beginning of the 1980s, the last of the generation had completed their secondary education, leading to a decrease in student population growth across the United States.
At the time, Ward Body Works was among "the Big Six" full-line school bus manufacturers (alongside Blue Bird, Carpenter, Superior, Thomas, and Wayne). The declining economy of the late 1970s also cut into the profitability of all school bus manufacturers. Of the "Big Six", Superior and Ward were the hardest hit. Following the 1975 closure of its secondary manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, Ward amassed over $20 million in debt by 1979.
Reorganization of Ward Industries (1980–1991)
left|thumb|Early 1980s Ward Volunteer in Alaska
On July 25, 1980, Ward Industries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the filing, the family-owned company declared $21.5 million in liabilities. As Ward Industries was a significant manufacturer in the central Arkansas region, the Wards sought for a way to keep the doors of the company open.
With company president Charles Ward selling off his stake in the company, Ward Industries was acquired by an investment group (assisted by then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton) named MBH, Inc. MBH was an acronym for the first letters of the last names of each of the 4 investors: Thomas E "Mack" McLarty, J.W. "Buddy" Benafield and two Kansas City brothers, Richard L. "Dick" Harmon and Robert Harmon. McLarty and Benafield each held one-third ownership; the Harmon brothers together held the remaining one-third ownership. MBH reopened Ward Industries as American Transportation Corporation (AmTran). As Ward Industries continued to hold significant market share in the school bus segment, AmTran chose to retain the Ward brand name for school buses although non-school bus products adopted the AmTran brand in 1981.
Following the acquisition, the Ward family held no stake in AmTran; however, Steve Ward remained in the new company for vehicle distribution and marketing, having the exclusive rights to sell Ward/AmTran products in Arkansas, based in a dealership from Conway.
During the 1980s, AmTran would make several product introductions that would advance school bus design in several market segments. Although among the last large bus manufacturers to introduce a Type A school bus, AmTran was the first manufacturer to introduce a higher-capacity version, with five rows of seating instead of four seen at the time. For 1983, AmTran introduced the first large semi-forward control conventional with the introduction of the Ward/AmTran Patriot. Using a shortened version of the Chevrolet/GMC B-Series, the Patriot allowed for a shorter wheelbase and nose angle for improved forward visibility.
Introduction of the International IC and rebranding (1999–2002)
thumb|left|2002 International IC (AmTran) in [[Thibodaux, Louisiana]]
thumb|2000 AmTran RE operated by [[First Student]]
In late 1999, AmTran announced plans to build a second manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dedicated to production of conventional-chassis school buses, the Tulsa factory was planned to employ nearly 1,200 people as the factory opened in 2001.
The IC was sold alongside with the existing AmTran-branded CS into 2002 production. Also for the 2001 model year, the FE and RE adopted the identification of the International IC, replacing AmTran roof badging with "International" badging (with or without the International diamond emblem).
Products
{| class="wikitable collapsible"
! style="background:#FFD800" colspan="5" |Ward/AmTran product line (1980–1992)
|-
! style="background:#FFD800;" |Model name
! style="background:#FFD800;" |Production
! style="background:#FFD800;" |Vehicle type
! style="background:#FFD800;" |Chassis
! style="background:#FFD800;" |Notes
|-
!Vanguard
250px
|1982–1992
|Type A (cutaway)
:*dual rear wheel
|Ford Motor Company
:*Ford Econoline 350
General Motors
:*Chevrolet van/GMC Vandura
|
- The Ward Vanguard was the first Type A school bus produced with a 25-passenger body, the largest at the time.
- Introduced in late 1981 and was only produced with dual rear wheels.
|-
!Volunteer
250px
|1980–1992
|Type C (conventional)
|Ford Motor Company
:*Ford B700/B800/B8000
General Motors
:*Chevrolet B6/GMC B6000 (1980–1991)
International Harvester<br>Navistar International
:*International S1700/S1800 (1980–1989)
:*International 3700/3800 (1989–1992)
|
- Introduced in 1973, the Ward Volunteer body underwent several body modifications during the 1980s; much of the underlying body structure is still used in the current IC CE of today.
- General Motors chassis dropped after 1991.
|-
!Patriot
250px
|1982–1991
|Type C (conventional)
:*semi-forward control
|General Motors
:*Chevrolet/GMC B6 (modified)
|
- The Ward Patriot was a semi-forward control conventional based on a modified General Motors B6 chassis; it is similar in layout to the 1989-1990 Thomas Vista school bus.
|}
Company timeline
{| class="toccolours" style="margin:auto;"
|-
| colspan="50" style="text-align:center;" |American Transportation Corporation timeline (1981–2002)
|
|- style="text-align:center; background:#f0f0f0; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="width:5%; " |
| colspan="9" style="width:15%; "|1980s
| colspan="10" style="width:15%; "|1990s
| colspan="3" style="width:15%; "|2000s
|- style="background:#f0f0f0; text-align:center;"
| '81 || '82 || '83 || '84 || '85 || '86 || '87 || '88 || '89
| '90 || '91 || '92 || '93 || '94 || '95 || '96 || '97 || '98 || '99
| '00 || '01 || '02
|- style="text-align:center; background:##f0f0f0; background:#f0f0f0;"
| colspan="2"|Brand name
| colspan="12" style="background:#d0d0d0;"|Ward/AmTran
| colspan="8" style="background:#d0d0d0;"|AmTran
| colspan="2" style="background:#d0d0d0;"|International
|-align=center
! colspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;" | Bus type
| colspan="22" style="background:#f0f0f0;" |AmTran school buses
|- align=center style="background:#d0d0d0;"
| colspan="2" rowspan="1" style="background:#f0f0f0;" |Type A
| colspan="2"|
| colspan="14" style="background:#FFD800;" |Vanguard
| colspan="3"|
| colspan="3"|
|- align=center
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;" |Type C
| colspan="16" style="background:#FFD800;"|Volunteer
| colspan="6" style="background:#FFD800;" |CS
|- align=center
| colspan="2" style="background:#d0d0d0;" |
| colspan="9" style="background:#FFD800;" |Patriot
| colspan="8" style="background:#d0d0d0;" |
| colspan="1" style="background:#d0d0d0;" |
| colspan="2" style="background:#FFD800;" |IC
|- align=center
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background:#f0f0f0;" | Type D
| colspan="9" style="background:#FFD800;"|President
| colspan="3" style="background:#FFD800;"|Senator
| colspan="7" style="background:#FFD800;" |Genesis
| colspan="3" style="background:#FFD800;"|FE
|- align=center
| colspan="9" style="background:#d0d0d0;" |
| colspan="7" style="background:#d0d0d0;"|
| colspan="6" style="background:#FFD800;" |RE
|}
Facilities
AmTran buses were produced in the former Ward factory in Conway, Arkansas. In 1999, the company announced it will expand its production capacity, as it will open a second facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Coinciding with the 2000 introduction of the IC, the Tulsa facility became home to all conventional-style bus bodies. originally repurposed for parts fabrication and production, the factory was sold off by Navistar in 2014.
See also
- IC Bus - successor of AmTran
- Navistar International - parent company
References
External links
- Archived official website
- Article with general overview of bus production in Conway, Arkansas