The American Bus Association Foundation (ABAF) released the first quarter 2017 Motorcoach Builder Survey. Based on surveys of the major motorcoach manufacturers that sell vehicles in the United States and Canada,
motorcoach sales from the participating manufacturers remained virtually unchanged over the prior year to a total of 803 units (547 new coaches and 256 pre-owned coaches).
“Last year, especially the fourth quarter, was very strong for motorcoach sales,” said ABA Foundation President Peter Pantuso. “We are seeing the same trend for 2017. The industry continues to grow and we have seen an upward trajectory with sales over the past few years since the end of the recession.”
Sales for the first quarter were dominated by private sales of new 45-foot motorcoaches, which saw an 18.5 percent increase over the same period in 2016. The less than 45-foot sales saw a slight decrease in the first quarter but are expected to pick up as the year progresses.
“We did see an increase in bigger buses this quarter, which is always a good sign for group travel,” said Pantuso. “While the quarter over quarter remained unchanged, the first quarter is usually a slower period for sales, but we expect sales of all sizes of coaches to pick up through the year.”
