Blue Bird enjoys a rich heritage in the transportation industry. Take a moment to review the timeline below to see just some of the milestones that went into the evolution of this over 80-year-old company.
1927
Albert Luce builds Blue Bird #1, one of the first school buses to utilize steel construction, and establishes a new paradigm for the school transportation industry
1935
First dedicated school bus plant opens in Fort Valley, Georgia under the name Blue Bird Body Company
1937
Blue Bird begins utilizing all-steel construction in school bus bodies
1945
Original school bus manufacturing plant is destroyed by fire
1946
Present company headquarters in Fort Valley, Georgia is built
1948
First forward engine transit bus built
1952
First dedicated forward engine transit chassis built for the school bus application
1950
Albert L Luce, Jr takes over as CEO, other brothers, George and Joseph join the company.
1958
Canadian Blue Bird, Brantford, Ontario opens
1962
Blue Bird Midwest, Mount Pleasant, Iowa opens.
1963
Wanderlodge plant opens (called Cardinal Manufacturing).
1964
First Wanderlodge built
1965
Guatemala City, Blue Bird Central America opens.
1967
Blue Bird founder Albert L. Luce, Sr. passes
1972
Blue Bird East opens in Buena Vista, Virginia
1975
Blue Bird opens plant in St. Lin, Quebec
1975
First Micro Bird built
1977
First Mini Bird built
1982
Blue Bird North Georgia opens in LaFayette, Georgia.
1988
First rear engine chassis built
1988
TC 2000 forward engine bus built
1992
First TC 2000 rear engine bus built
1992
Blue Bird purchased by Merrill Lynch Capital Partners
1998
Stopped production of TCRE
1999
Blue Bird purchased by Henley’s Group, United Kingdom
2002
Stopped production of TCFE
2003
Blue Bird launched first dedicated Type C body and chassis on its new Blue Bird Vision® product.
2004
Company becomes property of Peach County Holdings
2006
Company purchased by Traxis Group, B.V.
2007
Blue Bird celebrates it 80
th Anniversary of building quality school buses
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2008
Blue Bird launched the latest offering of its Type D All American
® school bus at the National Association of Pupil Transportation (NAPT) show. The next-generation bus incorporates the same Blue Bird reliability and safety of previous buses with new features requested by end-users.