Details of Cars

MCI MC-5: the coach that took MCI into the United States

MCI

MCI MC-5: the coach that took MCI into the United States

The MCI MC-5 was a 35-foot coach introduced in 1963, the year MCI opened a new plant at Pembina, North Dakota to expand into the American market. Through the MC-5A, MC-5B and MC-5C it stayed in production until 1980, and it set the pattern for the MC series that followed.

MCI MC-5 at a glance

MCI MC-5 key facts
Production 1963–1980, in four versions
MC-5 1963–1964; prototype MCX-5, Canadian cars MCC-5
MC-5A 1964–1970; early Canadian cars MCC-5A
MC-5B 1971–1977
MC-5C 1978–1980
Length 35 ft
Width 96 in
Built at Pembina, North Dakota from 1963
Shared with MC-8 MC-5B clearance and marker lights

There is no separate Wikipedia article on the MC-5: this page is based on the MC-series table and history of the English Wikipedia article on Motor Coach Industries, so it relies on one source.

History of the MCI MC-5

The Pembina plant

MCI had been building buses in Winnipeg since 1933, and Greyhound Lines of Canada had been a majority shareholder since 1948 before buying the company outright in 1958. In 1963 a new plant opened at Pembina, North Dakota, to increase capacity as MCI expanded into the United States market and Greyhound widened its operations, switching increasingly from GMC to its own in-house products. The MC-5 was the first bus built there, a 35-foot coach on the 96-inch body.

Four versions

The original MC-5 was built in 1963 and 1964, with a prototype designated MCX-5 and Canadian-built examples sold as MCC-5. The MC-5A followed in 1964 and lasted until 1970, with early Canadian cars again carrying the MCC prefix. The MC-5B of 1971–1977 shared its clearance and marker lights with the later MC-8, and the MC-5C of 1978–1980 had styling updated to match the MC-8. By then MCI had moved on to the larger, 40-foot MC-7 and MC-8, and the 35-foot MC-5 was retired.

Design and features

  • First at Pembina: the coach that opened MCI’s American plant in 1963.
  • 35 feet, 96 inches: a compact coach on the width MCI used through the 1980s.
  • Canadian and American versions: MCC-5 and MCC-5A for Canada, MC-5 for the United States.
  • Updated styling: the MC-5C of 1978 was brought into line with the MC-8.

MCI MC-5 versions

  • MC-5 (1963–1964): the original coach.
  • MCX-5: the prototype.
  • MCC-5 / MCC-5A: Canadian-built versions.
  • MC-5A (1964–1970), MC-5B (1971–1977), MC-5C (1978–1980): the three updates.

The coach that replaced it is described in MCI MC-7, and the rest of the series in MCI MC-8, MCI MC-9 and MCI MC-12. More coaches are in the MCI collection.

Video: 1978 MCI MC-5C coach

Video on YouTube.

Sources

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