Motor Coach Industries

This article is about the bus manufacturer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. For the Amtrak station in Michigan City, Indiana, see Michigan City Amtrak station. For the airport with IATA identifier MCI, see Kansas City International Airport.

Motor Coach Industries International Inc. (MCI) is a brand name for buses manufactured by New Flyer Industries, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. MCI specializes in manufacturing commuter and charter motorcoaches. The company has a strong presence in Canada and the United States with a few exports to other countries. MCI was merged into New Flyer Industries in 2020.

History

MCI's founder Harry Zoltok immigrated to Canada from Russia in 1928 and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1932, he partnered with Fred Sicinski and established a vehicle servicing company called the Fort Garry Motor Body and Paint Works, Ltd. A year later, they developed an 11 passenger body built on a Packard chassis.

Focus began to shift toward building their own intercity bus chassis and bus bodies. The company was renamed Motor Coach Industries (MCI) in 1941.

In 1948 Greyhound Lines of Canada at that time MCI's major customer, became a majority shareholder, purchasing 65 percent of the company. MCI was able to grow at a more rapid rate. In 1958 Greyhound Lines purchased 100 percent of the company. A manufacturing facility was established five years later in Pembina, North Dakota. Facing capacity constraints in the early 1970s, a subsidiary called Transportation Manufacturing Corporation was established in 1974 to manufacture coaches for Greyhound.

MCI purchased the transit division of General Motors (GM) in 1987. GM had decided to exit the bus manufacturing business. The manufacturing rights of the Rapid Transit Series (RTS) were transferred to TMC, and the RTS was produced in New Mexico. MCI produced the Classic in Canada.

In 1993, MCI became an independent corporation called Motor Coach Industries International Inc. It merged with DINA S.A. of Mexico the following year. MCI soon offered the Viaggio 1000 DOT for sale in the United States and Canada. It was manufactured in Mexico and used a DINA chassis with Marcopolo body. In the late 1999s MCI and DINA developed a new integral coach that would be manufactured in Mexico. This was the 35-foot MCI F3500. A longer intercity coach known as the G4100 and G4500 was also developed.

In 2000 DINA S.A. sold its holding in MCI to a private investment company. MCI retained the manufacturing facility in Mexico. However in 2003, it was closed. MCI invested further in their Winnipeg and Pembina facilities, increasing production by 2006.

In 2012, Daimler announced they were restructuring their operations in North America. Production of Orion transit buses were discontinued, and a distribution rights agreement for Setra coaches was signed with MCI. In addition, Daimler took a 10 percent minority ownership stake in MCI.

In November 2015, New Flyer Industries announced its purchase of MCI for $445m USD.

While New Flyer acquired 100 percent of the company, the distribution rights agreement with Daimler remained in effect. However in January 2018, New Flyer announced that the agreement would be terminated effective June 29, 2018. MCI had only sold 282 new Setra coaches, but had upgraded and expanded their own offering. Daimler believed that MCI's product offering began to overshadow the Setra offering. Distribution rights of Setra coaches was transferred to the REV Group. Parts sales, service and warranty support for Setra coaches in service remain with MCI until mid-2018.

In summer 2020, the merger of MCI and New Flyer into one company was announced. Though the company's corporate name will be New Flyer, the MCI brand will continue to appear on the commuter and luxury coaches.

In the summer of 2022, MCI announced the closing of its Pembina, North Dakota assembly plant after almost sixty years. "Buy America" compliant production would move to the New Flyer assembly plant in Crookston, Minnesota, using the company's new-generation D-series coaches. This decision was later reversed.

Facilities

Service Centers

• Bay Area/Northern CA (4120 Point Eden Way, Hayward, CA)
• Blackwood, NJ (14 Harmon Dr.)
• Collision and Refurbishment Center (480a Hartney St., Arnprior, ON)
• Dallas, TX (9787 Clifford Dr.)
• Des Plaines, IL (200 East Oakton St.)
• Lebanon, TN (215 Maddox Simpson Parkway)
• Los Angeles Area/Southern CA (2880 East Jurupa St., Ontario, CA)
• Montreal, QC (3500 Rue St. Patrick)

Model designations

After the original numbered Courier and MC models, MCI adopted letters for the different series of coaches. Three different schemes have been used:

1985–2001

Width	Series	Option	Axles	Body
96 = 96 inches (2.4 m) 102 = 102 inches (2.6 m)	A B C D E	L = 45 ft 7 in (13.89 m) length D and E series only W = wheelchair lift-equipped A and D series only	2 3	none = aluminum SS = stainless steel B, C and D series only
Example: 102-DL3SS

2001–2023

Series	Length	Version	Options (D series only)
D E F G J	35 = 35 ft 5.5 in (10.81 m) 40 = 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m) 41 = 41 ft 7 in (12.67 m) 45 = 45 ft 7 in (13.89 m)	00 = 1st 05 = 2nd	CL = "classic" styling CT = "contemporary" styling (diesel/CNG) CTH = "contemporary" styling (hybrid-electric) ISTV = inmate security transportation vehicle N = 96 inches (2.4 m) narrow body
Example: D4500CT

2021-present

Series	Length	Version	Options
D J	35 = 35 ft 5.5 in (10.81 m) 40 = 40 ft 6 in (12.34 m) 45 = 45 ft 7 in (13.89 m)	00 = 1st 20 = 3rd	CRT = Commuter coach CRT LE = Commuter coach/low entry CHARGE = Electric vehicle ISTV = Inmate security transportation vehicle
Example: D45 CRT LE

Current Product Line

All highway coaches.

Model	Introduced	Notes
D-Series
D4020	2020
D4020 ISTV	2020
D45 CRT	2021
D45 CRT CHARGE	2022	battery-electric
D45 CRT LE	2017
D45 CRT LE CHARGE	2019	battery-electric
D4520	2020
J-Series
J3500	2018
J4500	2001
J4500 CHARGE	2018	battery-electric

Past Product Line

Model	Introduced	Withdrawn	Notes
40-TRY	1942		trolleybus
Courier 50	1950	1955
Courier 85 Series	1950	1952
Courier 90	1953	1960
Courier 95 Series	1953	1960
Courier 96	1955	1960
Courier 97	1956
Courier 100 Series	1946	1949
Courier 200 Series	1947	1949
MC-1	1959	1961
MC-2	1960	1961
MC-3	1961	1963
MC-4	1963
MC-5 Series	1964	1980
MCC-5 Series	1964	1965
MC-6	1969	1970
MC-7	1968	1973
MC-8	1973	1978
MC-9	1979	1990
MC-12	1991	1999
A-Series
96-A2	1985	1992
96-A3	1985	1992
102-A2	1985	1992
102-A3	1985	1991
B-Series
96-B3	?
102-B3	1991	1994
C-Series
102-C3	1987	1993
D-Series
102-D3	1994	2000
102-DL3	1992	2000
D4000	2001	2005
D4000CL	2006	2022
D4000CT	2006	2022
D4000H	2002	2003	diesel-electric hybrid
D4000N	2002	2003
D4005	2005	2022
D4500	2001	2005
D4500CL	2005	2007
D4500CT	2005	2022
D4500CTH	2008	2022
D4505	2005	2022
E-Series
102-EL3	1997	2001
E4500	2001	2012
F-Series
F3500	2001	2004
G-Series
102-G3	2000	2001
G4100	2001	2004
G4500	2001	2004
Transit
150	1939	?	transit
TC40-102A / TC40-102N	1987	1993	Classic
TC60-102N	1992	1993	Classic Articulated
Worldbus	1990		experimental transit