Thomas has retired the FS-65 Type C Conventional

The last FS-65 was purchased by Gary O'Brien, owner of O'Brien Bus Service in College Park, Md. O'Brien has a fleet of FS-65s and purchases Thomas brand buses exclusively.

On Dec. 13, 2006, Thomas Built Buses delivered the last FS-65 school bus, which was replaced by Thomas' next-generation conventional bus, the Saf-T-Liner® C2. The FS-65 is a proven performer that will provide reliable service for years to come. Thomas Built and it's dealer network will continue to support the FS-65 with parts and service.

The basic body design of the FS-65 dates back to 1972, when it was offered on a variety of chassis brands. Since that time, Thomas has produced nearly a quarter of a million FS-65 conventional bodies. Thomas began offering this bus body on the Freightliner designed FS-65 chassis in 1995, and within five years it had captured more than one-third of the Type C market. A total of 62,764 Freightliner FS-65 chassis were produced.

In 2004, following significant market research, design, testing and fabrication, Thomas Built Buses launched the Saf-T-Liner C2, a new conventional-style bus that redefined the Type C category. The C2 reached a major milestone in January 2007, just 26 months from launch, when the 10,000th unit was produced.