During Yellowstone National Park’s early years, it was difficult for private cars to navigate its vast network of unpaved roads. As such, for many generations, visitors to the Park were transported courtesy of the White Company’s open-air tour buses. Known for their robust build quality and charming design, they mark a bygone era in American automotive transportation.
With only 98 Yellowstone White 706 tour buses built from 1936-1938, they are among some of the rarest bus designs ever produced. Having spent several years in a Montana storage unit, the example shown here was eventually acquired by Wyoming-based vintage vehicle specialist Legacy Classic Trucks. Once the team got their hands on the tour bus, it underwent a complete restoration to ensure that even the smallest detail was brought back to its former glory. Not without its quirks of the period, the bus features an entirely wooden frame and a removable sweeping canvas-covered canopy top. What’s more, Legacy Classic Trucks has recovered the original non-synchronized transmission, an eccentric component that gave rise to the term “gear jammers” used to describe the operation of these buses. Purchased by the Montage Big Sky hotel, it’s slated to resume its transport duties carrying around the resort.
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