History of General Motors - Yellow Coach - Part 1 of 5 (VTS_01_1)

Learn about the history of GM buses from Robert Redden.

Started from the Yellow Cab Company started in 1920’s.

The first coaches were built by the Trolly Car companies, which were front wheel drive. They were called Tanks.

They started out as double-decker buses where the upper deck had a roof but the center was open.

The seats were wooden benches, not the most comfortable form of travel.

In the beginning you boarded the bus from the rear of the bus and the Conductor would take your ticket. Then they moved the entrance to the front to eliminate the need for the Conductor.

The bodies were constructed of wood with metal sheeting on the outside. Therefore, there are not many of them remaining.

General Motors Truck sold out to Yellow Cab Manufacturing, who then changed their name to Yellow Truck and Coach Company.

White Motors built buses as well and they were building over the road buses.

In 1921, Fageol was the first company to build a bus from the ground up.

Mack also started building city coaches.

This was the beginning the Eastern Greyhound Lines using the “Y” bus.

Some buses had a door at every seat, however, standing up and walking around in a bus came later.

Soon there were Greyhound garages coast to coast full of Yellow Z-250 buses.

The railroads were responsible for building the intercity bus system.