While most examples were sold as yellow school buses, the Supercoach formed the basis for motorcoaches and other specialty vehicles using the same body and chassis.

While technically available outside of the West Coast, nearly all Crown school buses were sold in Washington state, Oregon and California.

[2][3] In 1936, Crown produced the Super Coach as an intercity motorcoach, featuring onboard sleeper compartments.

In 1937, Crown would build the first mid-engine school bus, with a Hall-Scott gasoline engine; the change expanded capacity to 79 passengers.

During World War II, Crown Coach produced few vehicles, with all production diverted towards military use.

[1] To better ensure its survival after the war, Crown entered a joint venture with Indiana school bus manufacturer Wayne Works, becoming the West Coast distributor of its product lines.

[1][3] In a move back to the mid-engine layout, the design of the 1950 Crown Supercoach broke many precedents in school bus construction.

In 1951, the Crown Firecoach fire engine was introduced, heavily based on the mid-engine chassis of the Supercoach bus.

Expanding the seating capacity from 79 to 91 (with a later option for 97), this would become the highest-capacity school bus ever mass-produced (alongside similar Gillig Transit Coach DT-models).

To make the bus more visible, Crown moved the taillamps and brake lights from the doors of the luggage compartment towards the rear corners of the body.

During the 1977 model year, federal regulations took effect that forever changed school bus design in the United States.

In March 1991, Crown Coach closed its doors; the final vehicle produced was a 36-foot mid-engine Supercoach (with standard body).

Developed for Crown to participate in a multi-year California Energy Commission study of the feasibility of alternative fuel school buses,[4][5] the Series II introduced the first major visible changes to the Supercoach since its 1949 introduction.

As a secondary objective of the study, the buses researched the practicality of advanced safety features for school districts replacing buses manufactured before 1977, including fire suppression systems, an increase in emergency exits, taller seats (made of additional flame-retardant material), anti-lock brakes (ABS), and automatic parking brakes.

[4] During the 1990s, as the California Energy Commission program moved into its advanced stages, methanol was abandoned as an alternative fuel (in favor of further development of compressed natural gas and diesel buses[4]); virtually all of the 50 methanol-fueled Supercoach II vehicles were converted to operate on diesel fuel.

Following the closure of the company, the designs and tooling of Crown Coach were acquired by Indiana-based Carpenter Body Works, who sought to replace its discontinued Corsair with a revived Supercoach II.

Carpenter would soon abandon the project, as it could not produce the complex Crown Coach design at a competitive price (a diesel Supercoach II cost over $125,000 in 1990[4]).