• Blue Bird Company History

    • 1927 - Blue Bird No. 1Albert Luce builds Blue Bird No. 1, one of the first school buses to utilize steel construction, and establishes a new paradigm for the school transportation industry.
    • 1935 - First Plant OpensThe first dedicated school bus plant opens in Fort Valley, Georgia under the name Blue Bird Body Company.
    • 1937 - All Steel BodyBlue Bird begins utilizing all-steel construction in school bus bodies.
    • 1945 - Plant Destroyed by FireThe Original school bus manufacturing plant in Fort Valley, Georgia is destroyed by fire.
    • 1946 - Blue Bird RebuiltThe present company headquarters in Fort Valley, Georgia is built.
    • 1950 - Albert Luce Jr., CEOAlbert Luce, Jr. takes over as CEO of Blue Bird. The other brothers, George and Joseph, also join the company.
    • 1952 - Forward Engine CreatedThe first dedicated forward engine transit chassis is built for school bus application.
    • 1962 - Founder DiesBlue Bird founder, Albert L. Luce, dies.
    • 1963 - Wanderlodge OpensWanderlodge plant opens (called Cardinal Manufacturing.)
    • 1964 - Wanderlodge BeginsThe first Wanderlodge is built.
    • 1975 - Micro Bird IntroducedThe first Micro Bird is introduced.
    • 1977 - Mini Bird IntroducedThe first Mini Bird is introduced.
    • 1988 - Rear Engine IntroducedThe first rear engine chassis is built.
    • 1988 - TC2000 ForwardThe TC2000 forward engine bus is introduced.
    • 1992 - TC2000 Rear EngineThe first TC2000 rear engine bus is introduced.
    • 1998 - TC2000 RetiredThe TC2000 Rear Engine bus is no longer produced.
    • 2002 - TC2000 FE Retired
    • 2003 - Redesigned Blue Bird VisionBlue Bird launches the first dedicated Type C body and chassis on it's new Blue Bird Vision® product.
    • 2007 - 80th AnniversaryBlue Bird celebrates its 80th anniversary of building quality school buses.
    • 2008 - Redesigned All AmericansBlue Bird launches the latest offering of its type D All American® school bus. This next generation bus incorporates the same Blue Bird reliability and safety of previous buses with new features requested by end-users.
    • 2010 - Propane PoweredBlue Bird announces the production of the propane-powered Micro Bird, which compliments its type C offering, the Propane-Powered Vision.
    • 2012 - 85th Year AnniversaryBlue Bird celebrates 85 years of building quality buses, and introduces their all-new 2014 All American bus.