Princeton-based limousine company A-1 Limousine will round out its 20-coach fleet with two Motor Coach Industries (MCI) 2019 MCI J4500 and two all-new 2019 MCI J3500s, the North American leader’s recent return to the luxury 35-foot coach market. One of A-1’s newest J4500s was the featured MCI coach in the American Bus Association (ABA) Foundation Live Auction at ABA Marketplace in January 2019. Proceeds from the auction event benefit the ABA Foundation’s scholarships and motorcoach travel and tourism research.
Jeffrey Starr, president of A-1, said he planned to bid on the newest J4500 at ABA before he walked in the door.
“I already knew the model’s features and value and won,” Starr said.
The son of founders Michael and Marilyn Starr, Jeffrey Starr helped the family business expand from traditional limousines and vans into motorcoaches in the 1990s as corporate clients began asking for ways to move larger groups.
That strategy would begin with MCI pre-owned coaches and a long-time working relationship built with Walter Sturdivant and Greg Lukas. Sturdivant is a 45-year career veteran at MCI who is regional vice president of pre-owned coach sales, based at MCI Sales and Service Center in Blackwood, New Jersey. Lukas is the regional vice president of new coach sales. Starr said that MCI quality, person-to-person service and parts support have kept A-1 loyal.
“Every transportation company owner-operator can agree that an out-of-service vehicle is not only detrimental to the business financially, but we are also unable to meet the needs of our customers,” he said. “I’ve always counted on MCI for parts and now under NFI Parts, service is even better.”
A-1’s newest coaches, scheduled for delivery later this year, also have Starr looking forward to MCI’s new 35-foot era.
“We’ve been very proud to help A-1 build this business,” Pat Ziska, MCI vice president of new coach sales, said. “Successful limousine operators like A-1 helped us realize that it was time to re-enter the 35-foot coach market with the creation of our new J-Series.”
“MCI builds great buses,” Starr added. “The 2019 J4500 and J3500 designs are fantastic. From the turning radius features on both models to the redesigned spacious interiors for maximum seating capacity, MCI coaches are intelligently engineered.”
A-1 is taking its new J4500 coaches in a roomy 60-seat configuration and its two J3500 with a 44-seat layout. All four coaches will also carry optional programmable multicolor interior lighting and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that help drivers prevent incidents in highway and local traffic.
A-1 knows about 35-foot coaches — its new J3500s will replace the company’s long-time “F coaches” built by MCI in Mexico more than 20 years ago.
This release originally appeared on the MCI website. You can view the full, original version here.