Ed Koch’s nemesis
Grumman’s historic reputation as a builder of naval aircraft is second to none. Its foray into city transit buses via its early 1980s ownership of Flxible was one of the most calamitous corporate stories of all time. All the technical expertise that Grumman Flxible could muster was undone by the potholes of New York City.
On paper, the Flxible Metro/Grumman 870 sounded like a high-tech marvel. The orders flooded in from US transit bus operators. These included NYCTA of New York. The problems soon manifested themselves, not just in the Big Apple but also Atlanta, Houston, LA and Chicago. Cracked A-frames were the source of the problem, forcing nearly 2,700 buses off the road and costing Grumman over $7 million in remedial work.
Mayor Ed Koch of New York told Grumman not to bother, famously issuing the 1984 directive, “Junk the junk!” Grumman disposed of its failing Flxible subsidiary at a big loss soon afterwards.
Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I encountered an aged Flxible in southside St. Pete today, now in the hands of a college. I was tempted to believe that this was an NYC exile, in its blue and white colours, but I suspect that this was one of Pinellas Suncoast’s own.
Ed Koch’s nemesis
Grumman’s historic reputation as a builder of naval aircraft is second to none. Its foray into city transit buses via its early 1980s ownership of Flxible was one of the most calamitous corporate stories of all time. All the technical expertise that Grumman Flxible could muster was undone by the potholes of New York City.
On paper, the Flxible Metro/Grumman 870 sounded like a high-tech marvel. The orders flooded in from US transit bus operators. These included NYCTA of New York. The problems soon manifested themselves, not just in the Big Apple but also Atlanta, Houston, LA and Chicago. Cracked A-frames were the source of the problem, forcing nearly 2,700 buses off the road and costing Grumman over $7 million in remedial work.
Mayor Ed Koch of New York told Grumman not to bother, famously issuing the 1984 directive, “Junk the junk!” Grumman disposed of its failing Flxible subsidiary at a big loss soon afterwards.
Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I encountered an aged Flxible in southside St. Pete today, now in the hands of a college. I was tempted to believe that this was an NYC exile, in its blue and white colours, but I suspect that this was one of Pinellas Suncoast’s own.