In the 1950s and ’60s, there was a brief period where it looked like traveling across the U.S. could be done most stylishly and efficiently by bus. The luster was wearing off on travel by train, and affordable jet transport hadn’t really taken flight. And the Interstate Highway System made long trips more efficient and quick.
General Motors had been working with legendary industrial designer Raymond Lowey on sleek, comfortable new concepts for long-distance buses. They struck gold with the Scenicruiser, a multilevel design that looked like the future on wheels with classic details.
Goldvarg Collection is working on a series of Greyhound bus models from that golden age. Iconic, ubiquitous, and sleek, these models deserve more diecast love.
Most diecast collectors probably had the Matchbox Greyhound Scenicruiser, and while it was a nice model, it was really small in scale compared to the company’s other models. 1/43 feels just right for such vehicles, combining room for detail and overall size to fit on your shelf. Goldvarg is planning models of several of them, due in the next few months.
GC-BUS-001 GM PD-4107 “Buffalo” Greyhound Bus (in development)
The original Scencruiser featured room for 10 passengers on the lower level with the driver, followed by a raised section with room for about 30 more passengers (sort of like a reverse Boeing 747). This newer version moved the upper level all the way forward so everyone got a commanding view from above. It was nicknamed “Buffalo” for the way that upper hump loomed over the driver’s cab.
GC-BUS-002 GM-PD-4104 Greyhound Bus (coming soon)
With its aluminum monocoque body, this bus was years ahead of all other mass transport, and quite frankly, most cars of the era.
GC-BUS-003 GM-PD-4106 Greyhound Bus (in development)
This was the next step in the evolution of the single-level Scenicruiser, with larger windows and a slightly updated rear-end design to stay ahead of the design curve.
All three models are listed as “coming soon” or “in development.” There are no in-progress images available yet, expect the same attention to detail you find in Goldvarg’s other offerings. You can buy your tickets for them at the Goldvarg Collection site.
Goldvarg announced these die-cast metal buses back in 2021 but as of yet they have not been released. There has been a few pictures of 3D print prototypes on the Goldvarg Facebook page but no information. The replicas are still listed on the Goldvarg website as ‘coming soon’ and ‘in development’. By this time I would suspect they have been cancelled but I am still hopeful Goldvarg will be able to produce them.