Bus Stop Classics:  Prevost Travel-Aire and S-Series Urban Transit Buses – A Couple of Rare Birds  

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– Posted on February 8, 2025

Prevost Citadin

 

Recently the Editors of Vintage Motor Coach Magazine asked if I would author an article on Prevost’s urban transit coaches – specifically the “Citadin”, which we’ve covered here at CC.  During that research, I came across two other Prevost urban transit models that are even more rare than the Citadin.  As CC’s motto is every car (or bus) deserves its time in the spotlight, let’s look at these two little-known models, both of which were produced from 1961 – 67.

1961 Travel-Aire

 

1967 Flxible Flexette

 

First up is the “Travel-Aire”, a small front-engined bus designed for shuttle and paratransit service.  What struck me initially was how similar it is to the later Flxible Flexette.  It makes me wonder if Flx’s designers didn’t do some major cribbing.  It came in 19 and 25 foot versions – and I couldn’t find any info on what engine it used.  

Next is the larger S-Series, also called the “Panoramique Urbain”, which as you can see, seems like a top-half of a GM New Look grafted onto the bottom-half of a PD-4106.  It was produced in 35 and 40 foot models and used mostly GM 6 and 8V-71 power plants.  The picture above shows several of the five manufactured for BC Hydro Transit of Vancouver in 1965.  

As we noted in the Citadin article, GM Canada had its London Ontario plant up and running in the early Sixties and was on its way to dominating the urban transit market, just as it had done south of the border.  One on-line site says only eighty of these Prevost buses were made from 61-67.  Post 1967, the company focused solely on its intercity and touring coaches.

If any of our Canadian readers have any experiences with these rare birds, please let us know in the comments below.

I’d also like to note a correction to the Citadin post (already corrected in the original) – I stated that the restored bus at the end of the article was part of Toronto Transit’s historical fleet.  While referenced in several areas on-line, that was incorrect – the bus was meticulously restored over four years by a dedicated group of volunteers, many former Prevost employees, and the coach now resides with the Sainte Claire Township Historical Society.