When the Museum reopens following the COVID-19 “intermission”, visitors will find a new addition to our bus display. Wayne and Gretchen Braunsworth‘s Passaic Valley Coaches donated a 1990 Prevost Mirage X. We truly appreciate their generous donation to our collection. The museum is also grateful to Dennis Orner, Prevost Customer Support Manager, who provided valuable information on prepping the 30-year-old coach for display.
Purchased new in 1990, the beautifully maintained coach spent its entire working life in the Passaic Valley fleet. Ironically, the Prevost sales executive who sold the coach to the Braunsworths was David Schmidt, former Board Chair of the Museum of Bus Transportation and a current member of the Museum’s Bus Committee.
First introduced in 1976, the Mirage advanced bus design by adding “roof-wrapping side windows,” and heralded a step forward in designing attractive tour coaches to draw additional customers. Astute bus enthusiasts will note that the panoramic windows are actually windshields standing on their flat ends. Other than being heavily tinted, they are identical to the windshields used in many generations of both General Motors and Prevost coaches, beginning in 1954.
In 1984 Prevost widened the Mirage to 102”, the new national standard, and in 1995 offered a 45’ version. The Mirage X coach is 40’ long, and 102” wide.
We look forward to welcoming guests to the Museum beginning Friday, June 26. Please note: The Commonwealth of PA Department of Health and CDC COVID-19 protocols and social distancing are in effect and strictly observed.