Crown Firecoaches

[marco17]

[quote name='firebuff55407' date='02 January 2010 - 12:50 AM' timestamp='1262410209' post='355697']

I don't think the Crown price was too high. Their prices were actually very competitive. I think it was more that Crown wan't making enough money building fire trucks and they were at the point where they were no longer interested in bidding fire apparatus. As an example of prices the LA City FD paid for "Triples" during the 70s the 1976 Wards were much higher priced than the 1973 Crowns. Here is an example of some of the LA City purchase prices for triples during the 70s:



1970 Seagrave 1250/400 Triple $40,189

1971 Int'l/Van Pelt 1000/400 Triple $32,559

1972 Ford C8000/ALF 1000/500 Triple $37,399

1973 Crown 1500/400 Triple $52,705

1976 Ward LaFrance 1500/400 Triple $78,729

1980 Seagrave 1500/400 Triple $89,025





[/quote]



Thanks Steve... there are some myths out there, and the price issue may be one of them, though i have heard that from multiple Crown sources over the years and from some old Crown people from interviews where they admitted that they were often not the cheapest. I think it may have been one factor, certainly not the only or main. At that time [late 70's early 80's] they changed ownership and the direction of the company may have changed. I would doubt if they were no longer interested in the fire truck business, they would have spent the time and money to update and improve their rigs by introducing the wide body, but you never know.