1954 GMC SCENICRUISER Detroit Diesel 8V-71 V-8
VIN / Serial PD4501001
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE V-8
TRANSMISSION 4-Speed Manual
EXTERIOR COLOR White/Blue
INTERIOR COLOR Gold/Black
MAKE GMC
TRIM/SUBMODEL SCENICRUISER
AUCTION Las Vegas 2026 / CROSSING THE BLOCK Saturday, November 14th
HIGHLIGHTS
The first 1954 GMC PD-4501 SCENICRUISER built
No. 001 production unit of the two-level Greyhound bus
Commonly known as a landmark in American transportation
Split-level 40-foot coach designed by Raymond Loewy
10 lower-level seats and 33 upper-level seats
Panoramic windows
Refitted Detroit Diesel Series 8V-71 V-8 engine
4-speed manual transmission
White and blue exterior with Greyhound livery
Gold and black interior
Air ride suspension
Goodyear white-letter tires
Take the Scenic Route
When the GMC Truck & Coach Division partnered with Greyhound Lines, both took a huge gamble in creating what would become one of the most iconic American buses ever made: the PD-4501 SCENICRUISER. The alphanumeric nomenclature spelled out that the bus was a parlor diesel (PD) and the first (01) 45-passenger bus of its kind.
The timing made perfect sense for a large, luxurious bus such as the SCENICRUISER. Since the 1930s, the U.S. government had been studying ways to establish a national superhighway network. During World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower was greatly impressed by Germany’s Autobahn and brought the idea home, where it was incorporated into the efforts of the Bureau of Public Roads.
After World War II, a lot of push and publicity surrounded the notion of creating an American network of roads and highways, if for no other reason than national defense. Americans were also itching to explore the coasts, and knew better roads would connect them. Greyhound wanted to help. In June of 1956, the Federal-Aid Highway Act was signed by President Eisenhower, authorizing 41,000 miles of road construction and establishing the Federal Highway Administration. Buses were going to be in big, big demand, along with motels, diners and gas stations, and the keenest enterprises and entrepreneurs had already long been at work preparing to answer the call. ........
