MISSISSAUGA, ON, /CNW/ — To mark its 100th year, Prevost, a premiere motorcoach manufacturer, hosted a special event on April 18 for employees and customers at its service center.
The celebration featured a multi-media historical journey that covered the founding of Prevost and traced the company’s growth and innovation through the decades. The event also included a special visit by “Clarisse,” a replica of the very first Prevost coach Eugène Prévost ever built.
Eugène was a woodworker in the small Canadian village of Sainte-Claire, Quebec, who unexpectedly received a commission to build a wooden coach body for mounting on an REO truck chassis. From that first order, he grew his business by producing buses and coaches for cities and government agencies.
“Eugène established a culture of continuous improvement, pride in craftsmanship and an unequivocal focus on quality, performance and safety,” said Prevost President François Tremblay. “The tenets he set down in 1924 are the ones we continue to follow in the 21st century.”
Clarisse’s Journey
To commemorate the 100th anniversary, three generations of Eugène’s family – children, grandchildren, grand in-laws and great grandchildren – dedicated thousands of hours to research, model, build and outfit the replica.
The family located a period REO chassis in Tampa Bay, Florida, and brought it back to Sainte-Claire. From there, painstaking care was taken to craft a historically accurate coach – the oak wheels were handmade, window, door and step mechanisms were agonized over, the wooden interior was hand varnished and bench cushions were hand sewn.
Last but not least a name was chosen. In honor of Eugène’s wife who supported him in all his endeavors – even going so far as to sew vehicle cushions – the 1924 coach was christened “Clarisse.”
Clarisse Rolls On
Following her visit to Mississauga, Clarisse is joining an anniversary celebration at the Prevost Service Center in South Plainfield, New Jersey. She previously participated in events in Calgary, Alb., Mira Loma, Calif., Fort Worth, Orlando and Nashville.
To learn more about Prevost’s 100 years, follow Clarisse on her journey and purchase Prevost 100th anniversary gear, visit prevostcar.com.
SOURCE SOURCE Prevost
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