Blue Bird CV200

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Blue Bird CV200

1994-model CV200 on a GMC-branded chassis
Years of manufacture 1992 to 2003
Length Up to 32 feet
Width 96 inches
Power/Fuel Gasoline, Diesel,
Propane/LPG

The Blue Bird CV200 was a type-C school bus built by Blue Bird, in cooperation with the General Motors Corporation.

Produced from 1992 until 2002, the CV200 was discontinued by Blue Bird in favor of producing their own chassis in-house.

This discontinuation and resulting void lead to the creation of the Vision.

History

In 1992, Blue Bird signed an exclusive supply agreement with the General Motors Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, General Motors would produce a new version of the B-Series cowled chassis at their Janesville, Wisconsin plant exclusively for Blue Bird. Blue Bird would in-turn be the only body manufacturer authorized to build on the then-new GMT530-based cowled chassis, dubbed the 'B7'. The deal would last for 10 years, from 1992 until 2002, during which time Blue Bird would be responsible for all distribution and service. The resulting pairing was marketed as the CV200, with the chassis bearing the model 'B7T042'.

Over the course of the 10 year production run, General Motors produced over 30,000 chassis for Blue Bird, who completed the mating process at one of three different assembly plants. The B7 chassis was offered with either Chevrolet or GMC branding. As a result, a clear brand favorite emerged, with GMC-branded chassis recording close to 2,000 units or more most model-years, while Chevrolet-branded chassis lagged behind. Chevrolet-branded B7s were most commonly found within the United States, where Chevrolet had been a household name for decades. The CV200 would go on to reach far-flung destinations across the world, such as Panama, Belgium, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia.

Toward the end of production, General Motors was interested in updating their medium-duty truck and working with Blue Bird to update their school bus chassis. Ultimately, Blue Bird did not feel the new chassis design was optimal, and the CV200 was discontinued along with the 'B7' chassis. Around the same time, Ford was interested in developing a type-C school bus chassis in cooperation with Blue Bird. In 2001, Ford and Blue Bird introduced a prototype at the National Association for Pupil Transportation trade show, based on the F-650.[1] In the end, after failing to come to an agreement with Ford, Blue Bird designed their own chassis and launched the Vision in 2003.[2]

Specifications

Production

Production numbers, including brand-specifics, are recorded below utilizing data from Blue Bird's Vantage website.

GMT530-based "B7T042" Production Run (1993-2002)
Model Year Quantity Chevrolet-branded GMC-branded
1993 3,030 1,083 1,947
1994 2,883 856 2,027
1995 3,098 899 2,199
1996 3,387 895 2,492
1997 3,404 950 2,454
1998 3,464 989 2,475
1999 2,859 811 2,048
2000 3,294 1,029 2,265
2001 2,007 640 1,367
2002 2,643 798 1,845
Total 30,069 8,950 21,119

Operators

With over 30,000 units produced, listing every operator is a highly unlikely possibility. Major or significant operators are listed below:

Canada

United States

References

  1. ↑ 2002 Blue Bird/Ford F-650 Super Duty Prototype; Flickr user PenelopeBillerica2017
  2. ↑ Q&A: Blue Bird Seeks to Improve Cost Position, Supplier Security. 01 February 2003. School Bus Fleet.
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