Blue Bird Vision - Background

Background

In 2002, Blue Bird was developing prototypes of a conventional-style school bus on a Ford F-650 medium-duty chassis. The new-generation medium-duty Fords had yet to find a body supplier. Blue Bird's 10-year agreement with General Motors to be the standard chassis supplier for the Blue Bird Conventional expired in 2003, which left the company anxious to find a Navistar chassis alternative (Freightliner, the parent company of competitor Thomas Built Buses, pulled its chassis supply). A prototype on an Ford F-650 chassis was developed with several all-new features; key to this was an a wide-angle lens next to the entry door to increase loading-zone visibility. However, on a Ford chassis, the new conventional would never reach production.

Although the Blue Bird/Ford never reached production, the body design of the Vision would carry over several features from the prototype. Building off Blue Bird’s purpose-built product strategy for maximum quality and optimization, the Blue Bird Vision body design includes exclusive features that directly enhance safety and durability for increased overall value. Particularly key to the Blue Bird Vision is the Vision’s patented Safety View™ Vision Panel which increases the driver’s view at the lower right front loading and unloading zone. A Blue Bird exclusive, the panel is made from laminated glass with a wide-angled Fresnel lens to provide a better view in this critical safety area while ensuring that the Blue Bird Vision maintains its focus on visibility.