A few weeks back we reviewed the Necochea Aerobus, an early attempt at streamlining from Argentina. Today let’s look at another Argentinian bus and one from Brazil that were both similarly designed to “cheat the wind.”
First up is the CAIO Gaivota or “Seagull.” CAIO (Companhia Americana Industrial de Ônibus) was, and still is, one of Brazil’s largest coachbuilders. The bus looks fairly conservative from this angle – you may be asking “Where’s the streamlining?”
Here. That is certainly an interesting rear end. I’m not sure whether CAIO was actually trying for a streamlined effect or if it was just more for aesthetics. I was a little surprised how much overhang there is behind the rear axle.
The body went over a Mercedes or Scania chassis – the MB one being an OM 326 with a 10.8 liter diesel straight six with around 180 hp. This was a successful model for the company and was produced over ten years.
Info was a little sparse on the Argentinian-built Maxibus but I did find it was manufactured in limited numbers from 2001-05. The chassis was a Scania KT 440 – with an 11 liter diesel putting out 400 hp. It’s a large bus – 15 meters in length, 49 feet. The coachwork was either built by the firm Imeco or in-house by the operator Rio de La Plata – I found references to both.
It would certainly win an award for “driver visibility” – though on a hot day that may not be much consolation.
There’s even one for sale – a little bit of a fixer-upper, but what a motorhome/RV it would make.
Nit-pick: it is “Gaivota” in Portuguese (spoken in Brazil). “Gaviota” is Spanish.
Thank you – corrected.
With simple white exteriors, less the bold liveries, the Maxibus would look quite stylish, and futuristic.
Air conditioning must have drank the juice. Better suited to Northern Europe?
Long overhang is an illusion on that 4 wheeler 3 metres behind the axis is the rule the planet uses its the same behind the rear axis on that 6 wheeler note axis not axle its the rear pivot point that is important
Impressive! 49′; that’s 4 more than allowed here.
Looks very like a dark balding man with a huge jaw in photo 1. What a creation, certainly not designed for hot climes, unless the aim was to serve Roast Driver at journey’s end.
Poor old thing looks like an abandoned circus ride in the last pic (and a little like an employed one when new, come to that). I’d have some doubts the aero benefit amounted to a scientific much, but kudos to them for at least attempting to subvert the dominant paradigm. Ken Kesey apart, not some thing you could usually say about a bus, that.
I like it.
As one who I suspect sometimes comes off as a curmudgeon, I like the Maxibus. Visually at least. I’m a little skeptical about the dual front axles and the fishbowl up front, the latter of which is easily rectified with a little reflective insulation, but the concept and lines I like. And yeah, as suggested, I see a motorhome in the making here too.