Optima Bus Corporation


Optima Bus, LLC, formerly Chance Coach Inc., was a brand of small transit buses manufactured by North American Bus Industries. It was established in 1976 in Wichita, Kansas.
It was originally the trolley-replica and conventional bus production business of Chance Industries, Inc. In 1998, Chance Coach, Inc. was sold to American Capital Strategies, which rebranded the company as Optima Bus Corporation in 2003. American Capital subsequently sold Optima to North American Bus Industries, who closed the Kansas assembly plant on August 8, 2007, with production moved to their existing plant in Anniston, Alabama. Optima Bus was owned by North American Bus Industries, Inc. until 2010 when NABI discontinued the production of its Optima and Blue Bird brand commercial bus products.

Models

Image:RRTA Optima 127.jpg|thumb|250px|An Opus run by the Red Rose Transit Authority.
Image:Newport Bus.JPG|thumb|250px|RIPTA CNG trolley replica #18Opus: under or under low-floor bus; designed in collaboration with Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus' international Expotech division
[Image:Pace1926.jpg|thumb|250px|Pace RT-52 in Niles, Illinois.]RT-52: a front-engined small-sized transit bus measuring in length. It was primarily used as a shuttle bus, and normally carried 19 passengers. The maximum passenger capacity was 23 passengers. Powered by an inline 6-cylinder Cummins 6BTA5.9 turbo diesel engine displacing, coupled to an Allison MT643 manual transmission, its gross vehicle weight was, its wheelbase was, and it was wide.Sunliner: an open-air towed tram used at various parks and zoos in the United States and Canada