Trivia: Longest running bus models

[joieman]

It's rather amusing to realise that the Optare Solo SR has now been in production for sixteen years, initially beginning production in 2008. Its predecessor, the Solo, was also long-lived, being produced from 1998 to 2012, for a total of fourteen years, overlapping with the Solo SR by four years.
Other long-lived bus models include the Wright StreetDeck (first facelift, 2014-24), the ADL Enviro200 (2006-18) and the Enviro200MMC (2014-present).
Can anyone think of more examples of buses with long production lifespans?

 

[stadler]

It's rather amusing to realise that the Optare Solo SR has now been in production for sixteen years, initially beginning production in 2008. Its predecessor, the Solo, was also long-lived, being produced from 1998 to 2012, for a total of fourteen years, overlapping with the Solo SR by four years.
Other long-lived bus models include the Wright StreetDeck (first facelift, 2014-24), the ADL Enviro200 (2006-18) and the Enviro200MMC (2014-present).
Can anyone think of more examples of buses with long production lifespans?

I think that the Mercedes Benz Citaro has to be a strong contender. It was first produced in 1997 and is still being produced in 2024 now. So that is 27 years and counting.

 

[signed]

The Renault PR100 is a very strong contender. From '70 to '99, that's 29 years of production.

Renault PR 100 — Wikipédia

fr.wikipedia.org

Ciatros are the next kings of longevity in the western world (unlikely they'll go out of prod any time soon)

Anything Soviet will have no competition though

LAZ-695 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

1965 to 2002 and then 2010 with a third-party

 

[A0]

Not the longest, but the Volvo B10M between 1978 and 2003 racked up 25 years of production.

I think that the Mercedes Benz Citaro has to be a strong contender. It was first produced in 1997 and is still being produced in 2024 now. So that is 27 years and counting.

One question though - how close to the original Citaro is the current one? To draw an analogy, the VW Golf has been in production for 40 years, but there have been multiple versions in that time which apart from the name badge, don't have much in common.

 

[joieman]

I think that the Mercedes Benz Citaro has to be a strong contender. It was first produced in 1997 and is still being produced in 2024 now. So that is 27 years and counting.

It's been produced across at least two generations, but the current O295 Citaro has been in production for a still-respe table thirteen years.

 

[Strathclyder]

With regards to historic British bus models, the Leyland Atlantean was produced from 1958 to 1986 (28 years), the last example for a domestic operator appearing in 1984. The AEC Reliance comes close to that (1953 to 1979; 26 years).

Am somewhat hesitant to include the original Leyland Titan here, as yes, while it first appeared in 1927 and the last example rolled off the production line in late 1969, there was a 3 year gap in production during WWII (1942 to 45) and the product had evolved significantly during that time through several generations, similar to the AEC Regent and Guy Arab lines.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

Bearing in mind it was used as a bus as well, how about the venerable Volvo B10M? Originally first built in 1978(!), it only finished production 25 years later in 2003 - with goodness knows how many tens of thousands built.

 

[TheGrandWazoo]

With regards to historic British bus models, the Leyland Atlantean was produced from 1958 to 1986 (28 years)

To be honest, the Atlantean was massively re-engineered from the PDR to the AN68 versions; a bit like @A0wen's analogy with the VW Golf, and paralleled by the Leyland Leopard (1959-1983) which was similarly transformed from the L1/L2 to the PSU versions c.1967.

However, the Bristol RE (RELL) was in production from 1962 to 1984 and whilst was upgraded over that time, not by that much.

 

[Strathclyder]

To be honest, the Atlantean was massively re-engineered from the PDR to the AN68 versions; a bit like @A0wen's analogy with the VW Golf, and paralleled by the Leyland Leopard (1959-1983) which was similarly transformed from the L1/L2 to the PSU versions c.1967.

However, the Bristol RE (RELL) was in production from 1962 to 1984 and whilst was upgraded over that time, not by that much.

Yeah, what I said about the OG Titan could also be applied to the Atlantean. That said, both versions were in production for 14 years each, so nothing to sneeze at either side of February 1972 imho lol

 

[A0]

Not British or European - but American, the Bluebird 'All American' second generation school bus ran in production from 1957 to 1989, so 32 years.

Blue Bird All American - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Strathclyder]

Not British or European - but American, the Bluebird 'All American' second generation school bus ran in production from 1957 to 1989, so 32 years.

Blue Bird All American - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

That edges out the Yellow Bus/GM 'Old Look' model, produced from 1940 to 1969 (29 years).

 

[Silent]

I think that the Mercedes Benz Citaro has to be a strong contender. It was first produced in 1997 and is still being produced in 2024 now. So that is 27 years and counting.

But isn’t it a newer model and design being used although tbh it hasn’t changed so much.

 

[signed]

But isn’t it a newer model and design being used although tbh it hasn’t changed so much.

Yes, the new one is the Second Gen C2

 

[jp4712]

The Bedford SB was in production 1950 to 1986, and it changed very little across its run beyond engine choices. That’s hard to beat outside the Soviet bloc.

 

[CBlue]

Not the longest, but the Volvo B10M between 1978 and 2003 racked up 25 years of production.



One question though - how close to the original Citaro is the current one? To draw an analogy, the VW Golf has been in production for 40 years, but there have been multiple versions in that time which apart from the name badge, don't have much in common.

In a similar angle, the B10M has had changes done. The most major I can think of was inn 1994 (Mk.III to Mk. IV) when the radiator was moved from the front to the side, along with a few other modernising touches. Also had the benefit that the radiator no longer roasted the driver's left leg on hot days