DES PLAINES, Ill. — The MCI J4500 has maintained its position as North America’s best-selling motorcoach for more than two decades, according to industry sales data.
Motor Coach Industries, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., said Tuesday that its 45-foot J4500 model has led the market since 2004, when it first became the top-selling coach after being introduced in 2001 for tour and charter operators.
The company said the model has remained the most widely purchased new motorcoach across the United States and Canada, based on historical data from the Motorcoach Builders Survey conducted by the American Bus Association.
“Since 2004, operators have consistently selected the MCI J4500 as their preferred 45-foot coach,” said Tom Wagner, the company’s vice president of private sector sales and service. He noted the model lost the top spot only once — in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic — when it ranked second by less than 1%.
The Motorcoach Builders Survey, produced by the American Bus Association Foundation, tracks new and pre-owned motorcoach sales in the U.S. and Canada. Manufacturers submit sales data confidentially, which Oxford Economics analyzes to produce aggregated industry insights.
Lew Myers, the association’s director of government relations and research, said the data helps illustrate the role of motorcoach and group travel in domestic transportation.
Motor Coach Industries manufactures motorcoaches for public and private markets, including its J Series and D Series models, as well as zero-emission vehicles. The company also provides maintenance, parts and training services.
NFI Group, the parent company, employs about 9,000 people across 10 countries and produces buses and coaches under multiple brands. It focuses on a range of propulsion systems, including electric, hybrid, natural gas and clean diesel technologies.
