The White Motor Company has had an eclectic career manufacturing various products during its 80-year history between 1900 and 1980. They produced trucks, buses, bicycles, sewing machines, lathes, tractors, and even roller skates. The company's inception began like many other companies during the dawn of the automobile when Thomas White acquired a Locmobile steam car which proved to be unreliable. Convinced he could do better, he enlisted assistance from his son Rollin and together they improved the Locmobile design by reengineering and redesigning the entire system. In 1900, Rollin patented the generator and offered it under license to various manufacturers, including Locomobile.
The White Sewing Machine Company built the first White automobile, with Rollin convincing his father to allow him some space to build the car. This early horseless carriage convinced Rollin's brothers (Windson and Walter) to lend their own unique talents, transforming the idea into a viable product. Windson brought business management and Walter had experience with sales and marketing.
By the 1930s, the White Motor Company had become renowned for its exceptional build quality and the reliability of its vehicles. This reputation helped them win a contract with the National Park Service for the production of 500 buses. The Art Deco-inspired busses were designed by industrial stylist Alexis de Sakhnoffsky with assistance from White president R. F. Black and Herman Bender of the Bender Body Company. de Sakhnoffsky designed the streamlined grille and Bender built everything from the cowl back. The buses featured roll-back canvas tops for open-air views. The bodies were created by the Bender Body Company of Cleveland, Ohio. These buses, priced at approximately $90,000, were used at National Parks that included Zion, Yellowstone, Mount Rainer, Glacier National Park, the Grand Canyon, and others. Ninety-eight Model 706s were delivered to Yellowstone between 1936 and 1938, including 27 in 1936.
These buses were used for many years and were eventually retired in the 1960s, after which, many were sold into private collections. A few remained in service or were put on historical display in museums.
The White Model 706 rested on a 176-inch (some had a 190-inch) wheelbase chassis and were powered by a robust 318 cubic-inch 16A flathead six-cylinder engine producing 94 horsepower. Some of the later buses built used the White Type 20 engine.
The White Model 706 had seating for fourteen to seventeen passengers. With the rearmost bench seat removed, the space could be used to accommodate luggage. The buses wore colors that were unique to the park in which they operated.
by Dan Vaughan