The Flxible Company was founded in 1913 as a manufacturer of motorcycle side cars. But, in 1924 it made its first bus and for the next 72 years Flxible was a builder of intercity and urban transit buses. When Flxible filed for bankruptcy in 1996 it was the largest builder of transit buses in the U.S.

Dr. Ebert's study of Flxible is a major research project that examines the reasons for the failure of Flxible. Included in the analysis is a discussion of the funding of the transit bus purchases through subsidies from the Urban Mass Transit Administration (UMTA) and, later, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The question being raised is whether federal subsidies to transit authorities helped or hurt the bus industry and Flxible and whether Flxible management judged the market and corporate operations accurately.

Dr. Ebert's book: Flxible: A History of the Bus and the Company was published in 2001 by Antique Power, Inc.

• 1913: Hugo Young established the Flxible Side Car Co. along with Carl Dudte in Mansfield, Ohio
• 1914: A factory was leased in Loudonville ultimately production is concentrated there.
• 1914: The Flxible Side Car Company Incorporated.
• 1915: Charles F. Kettering invested in Flxible.
• 1919: Name changed to The Flxible Company.
• 1924: First Flxible bus built.
• 1925: Buses and ambulances/funeral cars in regular production.
• 1937: Flxible Clipper introduced.
• 1946: Postwar Clipper design introduced (updated as Visicoach in 1950 and Starliner in 1957).
• 1953: Flxible enters transit bus industry and exits the funeral car/ambulance industry for the first time.
• 1955: VL100, Two-Level design introduced in intercity coaches.
• 1959: Flxible re-enters the funeral car/ambulance business.
• 1965: Flxible leaves the funeral car/ambulance industry for the last time.
• 1970: Flxible leaves intercity bus market.
• 1970: Flxible acquired by Rohr Industries.
• 1975: Final assembly transferred to Delaware, Ohio.
• 1978: Flxible acquired by Grumman Corporation.
• 1983: Flxible acquired by General Automotive Corporation.
• 1995: Last Flxible bus produced.

1996: Flxible files for bankruptcy, assets auctioned.

What does a Flxible bus look like? See pictures below.
 
 

        This bus is believed to be one of the
        first  Flxibles built on a Buick chassis in
        early 1925.  (Used with the permission
        of the Thomas A. McPherson;
        photo courtesy of the Mohican
        Historical Society.)
 
 
 
 

        By 1941 the Clipper styling was refined and
        sleek with slanted  windows. (Used with
        the permission of the Thomas A.
        McPherson; photo courtesy
        of the Motor Bus Society Library.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

    Flxible entered its "Godlen Age" with introduction
    of the 1946 Clippers with Panoramic windshields
    and the dual headlight/fog light front end styling.
    (Used with the permission of Thomas A.
    McPherson; photo courtesy of the Motor
    Bus Society Library.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

            By 1941 the Clipper styling was refined
            and sleek with slanted windows.
           (Used with the permission of Thomas
            A. McPherson; photo courtesy
            of the Motor Bus Society Library.)
 

    The first Flxibles purchases by the
    Cleveland Transit System were
    Flxible-Twin Coach New Looks.
    Note  the early New Look
    coaches had the Flxible-Twin
    Coach name plate on the front.
    (Used with the permission
    of Thomas A. McPherson;
    photo courtesy of the Motor Bus
    Soceity Library.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Flxible also built transit buses from 1953 to 1995. The last transit bus it built was called the Metro. Shown here is a Metro in use by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. (Picture courtesy of the Motor Bus Society.)