page_title: Carpenter Body Company
section_title: 1950s–1980: Reconstruction and Expansion
hierarchical_section_title: Carpenter Body Company / History / 1950s–1980: Reconstruction and Expansion
caption_attribution_description: English: Photograph of a 1950s GMC school bus with a Carpenter Body Works body Description from Flickr: This 7-window (28 adult passenger) school bus was built on what I believe is a 1954 GMC chassis. The engine is a 270 c.i. inline six. The transmission is a four-speed manual. Brakes are power assisted drums, but steering is manual. The &quot;rocket&quot; hood ornament is a rare factory option. The bus now resides in Big Valley, California (Lassen County).
context_page_description: Carpenter Body Works was a former American bus manufacturer. Founded in 1918 in Mitchell, Indiana, the company produced a variety of vehicles, with the majority of production consisting of yellow school buses for the United States and Canada.
  After remaining a family-owned company into the late 1980s, Carpenter was sold and relocated in 1995 to the former Wayne Corporation facilities in Richmond, Indiana. In 1998, Carpenter was acquired by specialty vehicle manufacturer Spartan Motors. After struggling to regain lost market share, Carpenter was closed by Spartan in early 2001.
context_section_description: In May 1947, the Carpenter factory in Mitchell, Indiana, was heavily damaged by a fire in the paint shop.
  In 1954, Carpenter produced its first transit-style "forward-control" bus. Similar to designs from Blue Bird and Wayne, the company used Marmon-Herrington as its chassis supplier.  As with other manufacturers, Carpenter conventional-style buses in the early 1950s were available on a variety of chassis, including Chevrolet/GMC, Ford, Dodge, International Harvester, Mack, REO, Diamond T, Studebaker, and White.
  In March 1956, the Carpenter factory was again struck by fire, starting on the body-fitment station.  Causing nearly $750,000 in damage, much of the factory was destroyed, except for the warehouse, upholstery shop, and paint shop; approximately two dozen buses were driven away from the fire to safety.  With the help of factory workers, the factory was rebuilt and expanded in just 89 days.  During the reconstruction, some workers worked without pay until later compensated.
  Following the 1963 death of Ralph Carpenter at age 85, leadership of the company transferred to his son-in-law John A. Foddrill.
  To the end of the 1960s, Carpenter continued to produce its school bus product line as it had since the 1920s: every vehicle was essentially built one at time without an assembly line and essentially to order.  Although one of the larger school bus manufacturers, Carpenter allowed for a great deal of specialization and available options for a purchaser.
  In 1969, Carpenter became one of the first manufacturers to offer a downsized school bus (25-30 passengers) for smaller-scale operators.  Based on the General Motors P-chassis, the Carpenter Cadet CV utilized the roof and the body of the conventional-body Carpenter from the entry door rearward.  From the drivers' seat forward, the Cadet was designed similar to the GM "stepvan".  The Cadet would spawn a number of similar designs from other manufacturers, remaining in production for 29 years.
  In 1970, Carpenter upgraded its transit-style school buses with the introduction of the Corsair; the Marmon-Herrington chassis was replaced by a Hendrickson chassis.  In addition, a distinguishing feature of the Corsair was its wraparound curved "fishbowl" windshield.  Along with the forward-control Corsair, an all-new rear-engine model made its debut.
  In 1970, parts of the factory were expanded further; under a company objective, management sought to source nearly all materials for the construction within Indiana (only carpet had to be sourced out of state)
  During much of 1978, production at the Mitchell, Indiana facility was halted by a 6-month long labor strike lasting from February to August.
caption: 1955 Carpenter/GMC school bus
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