Cool cars routinely appear for sale on Bring a Trailer and while this bus is a little different than most other vehicles on the auction platform, it might just be the zaniest of them all.
What you’re looking at is a 1963 Gillig Model 590H that was originally used to haul the President’s limousine for the Secret Service. A car enthusiast by the name of Jerry Peters found the bus in very poor shape and set about thoroughly restoring and modifying it to be reminiscent of an original Porsche race car hauler built by Mercedes-Benz, known as ‘Buster’.
Read Also: Here’s A Ridiculously Powerful Porsche Track Toy For Those Who Want To Flirt With Danger
When Peters found the bus, it was still fitted with its original 9.7-liter inline-six petrol engine that produced 245 hp and returned just 1 mpg. Rather than keeping this engine, Peters sourced a second Gillig bus that had a 7.0-liter two-stroke diesel supplemented by both a turbocharger and a supercharger. This engine can produce up to 285 hp and 801 lb-ft (1,086 Nm) of torque.
With a new engine fitted, work began on fitting all-new metal body panels. The bus has also been adorned with a Porsche-themed paint job and has clearance lights from a Porsche 356. A set of custom-made Budd aluminum wheels are also featured.
The interior of the bus has also been overhauled and includes a driver’s seat trimmed in burgundy upholstery with a matching passenger seat. There is also a red three-spoke steering wheel with a Porsche center cap. Found in the rear of the bus is Formica wall panels and black walnut wood floors, floor tie-downs, an overhead sound system, and custom aluminum ramps.
The bus has attracted a lot of attention on Bring a Trailer since going live, so much so that bidding has exceeded the $320,000 mark.
