Flxible
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2020) |
The Flxible Co. (pronounced "flexible") was an American manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars, funeral cars, ambulances, intercity coaches and transit buses, based in the U.S. state of Ohio. It was founded in 1913 and closed in 1996. The company's production transitioned from highway coaches and other products to transit buses over the period 1953–1970, and during the years that followed, Flxible was one of the largest transit-bus manufacturers in North America.[1]
History
In 1913, Hugo H. Young and Carl F. Dudte founded the Flexible Side Car Company in Loudonville, Ohio, to manufacture motorcycle sidecars with a flexible mounting to the motorcycle. The flexible mounting allowed the sidecar to lean on corners along with the motorcycle, and was based on a design patented by Young.
In 1919, the company dropped the first "E" in "flexible" and changed its name to The Flxible Company as the business looked for new opportunities to expand.
After low-priced
Charles Kettering and General Motors
After selling Delco to GM in 1916, Kettering organized and ran a research laboratory at GM and, by the 1950s, held the position of vice president at GM. As a result of Kettering's close relationship with both GM and Flxible, many GM parts were used in the production of Flxible vehicles, particularly prior to GM's 1943 purchase of
In 1958, as a result of the
Bus manufacturing
In 1953, Flxible absorbed the
870 "A" frame problems
In the mid-1980s, several
Last transit buses in service
By the mid-2010s, very few transit systems were still operating any Flxible buses. Portland, Oregon's TriMet retired its last Flxible buses in May 2015,[5] after which the only known continued use of Flxible buses in service was by Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) in Charleston, South Carolina, and by Metro Transit in Omaha, Nebraska.[6] However, Omaha ordered replacement buses in summer 2018[7] and retired its last Flxible buses before the end of that year.[citation needed] Subsequently, CARTA retired its last Flxible buses in October 2019.[citation needed]
Engineering program
Flxible implemented a CAD program, CATIA, in the late 1990s to support production design. They were one of the first customers of IBM/Dassault.
Production outside the United States
Flxible's intercity buses were popular in
In 1994, Flxible's parent company, General Automotive Corporation, and three other American companies –
Products
- Motorcycle sidecar (1913-early 1920s)
- Intercity coach (1924–1932)
- Funeral car (1925–1942, 1946–1952, 1959–1964)
- Ambulance (1925–1952, 1946–1952, 1959–1964)
- "Airway" intercity coach (1932–1936)
- "Clipper" intercity coach (1937–1942, 1944–1950)
- Parts for blimps(1942–1945)
- "Airporter" intercity coach (1946–1950)
- "C-1" intercity coach (1950)
- "VisiCoach" intercity coach (1950–1958)
- FL "Fageoliner" transit bus (1953–1954)
- FT "Flxible Twin" transit bus (1953–1959)
- VL-100 "VistaLiner" two-level intercity coach (1954–1959)
- "StarLiner" intercity coach (1957–1967)
- "Hi-Level" intercity coach (1959–1962)
- "New Look" transit bus (1960–1978)
- "FlxLiner" intercity coach (1963–1969)
- "Flxette" light duty transit bus (1964–1976)
- "Flxible" Cruiser Motor Home (1967–1969)
- 870 "Advanced Design Bus" transit bus (1978–1982)
- METRO "Advanced Design Bus" (1983–1996); METRO "A" (1983–1987), METRO "B" (1988–1991), METRO "C" (1992), METRO "D" (1993–1994) and METRO "E" (1995–1996)
Buick conversions
-
1927 motorbus
-
1940 ambulance
-
1960 hearse
-
1963 hearse
Flxible Owners International
Flxible Owners International (see external link) was founded in the mid-1980s as an offshoot of the Family Motor Coach Association, and is dedicated to the preservation of buses and coaches produced by Flxible. The organization holds a rally in Loudonville biannually, in even-numbered years and normally in mid-July, where many preserved Flxible coaches and buses may be seen.[9][10]
The majority of vehicles owned by members are of the Clipper series (Clipper, Visicoach, Starliner) that were produced from the 1930s until 1967. However, there are also quite a few "non-clipper" Flxible coaches that are owned, maintained, and operated by proud Flxible owners. This includes the Starliner, VL100 (VistaLiner), Hi Level, and Flxliner as well as some of the more modern transit buses. Most of these vehicles have been converted to
See also
- RTS, a line of buses that competed with Flxible's last line of buses, the Flxible Metro
- New Flyer Industries, a bus manufacturer that has replaced Flxible in terms of dominance
References
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2009) |
- ISBN 0-9660751-2-9.
- E.D.Mich.1956).
- ^ McKane, John H. & Squier, Gerald L. (2006), 17.
- ^ McKane, John H. & Squier, Gerald L. (2006), 58.
- ISSN 0739-7194.
- ^ Morgan, Steve (September 2014). "The Flxible Metro – Catch Them While You Can". Bus Industry. Bus History Association. p. 21.
- ^ Getting Road-Ready: How a Bus Earns its Stripes August 16, 2018. Metro (Omaha).
- ISSN 0266-7452
- ^ Brewer, Jim (July 17, 2006). "1930 Flxible coach steals show at bus rally". Ashland Times-Gazette. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
- ^ Brewer, Jim (July 21, 2008). "Flxible buses parade through downtown Loudonville". Ashland Times-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 23, 2012. Retrieved May 28, 2012.
Further reading
- Crandall, Robert W.; Elzinga, Kenneth G. (2002-04-24). "Injunctive Relief in Sherman Act Monopolization Cases" (PDF). Journal of Research in Law and Economics. The Brookings Institution: 68–81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-02-04.
- ISBN 0-87341-024-6.
- Ebert, Robert R. (2001). Flxible: A History of the Bus and the Company, Yellow Springs, OH: Antique Power, Inc. ISBN 0-9660751-2-9.
- Luke, William A. (2003). Flxible Intercity Buses: 1924–1970 Photo Archive, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-108-5.
- Luke, William A. & Metler, Linda L. (2005). City Transit Buses of the 20th Century, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-146-8.
- Luke, William A. & Metler, Linda L. (2004). Highway Buses of the 20th Century, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-121-2.
- McKane, John (2001). Flxible Transit Buses: 1953–1995 Photo Archive, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-053-4.
- McKane, John H. & Squier, Gerald L. (2006). Welcome Aboard the GM New Look Bus, Hudson, WI: Iconografix. ISBN 1-58388-167-0
McPherson, Thomas A. (1993) "Flxible Professional Vehicles: The Complete History" Toronto, Ontario, Specialty Vehicle Press, ISBN
- Plachno, Larry. "Back to the Futurliners" (PDF). National Bus Trader (February, 2001). National Bus Trader, Inc.: 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-11-10. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- Stauss, Ed (1988). The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses, Woodland Hills, CA: Stauss Publications. ISBN 0-9619830-0-0.
- History and Analysis of the Flxible Company, bw.edu, retrieved on 2007-02-07.
- Ohio Museum of Transportation, omot.org, retrieved on 2007-02-04.
- Ohio Museum of Transportation – Flxible Transit Coach Production Lists, omot.org, archived on 2005-08-28 on archive.org, retrieved on 2007-02-04.