86-year-old bus scoops $1.3M at an auction

This White Model 706 tourist bus was built in the distant year 1936 for use in Yellowstone National Park. Bidding started from $150,000, and the seller was ready to part with it for $350,000-$500,000. However, things rapidly heated up until someone sealed the deal with $1.3 million USD – the highest any White vehicle has ever sold for.

The manufacturer produced around 500 such buses back in the era. The Yellowstone bought 98 units and the Glacier National Park (Montana) acquired another 35 units. The former used to paint its tourist bus fleet yellow and the latter red, but this example was comprehensively restored and given a “non-canonical” red finish.

A company called Bender Body retrofitted all buses for parks with a removable tarpaulin top, which can be seen on the photos here. This specific vehicle was the 363rd produced and came equipped with a 5.2-liter six-cylinder engine. It is in good driving condition and takes 17 passengers on board.

As many as 33 Glacier NP buses are still in use despite their age. The fleet received a thorough overhaul in 1989, complete with new engines and automatic transmissions, as well as modern power steering mechanisms, suspension parts, and brakes.