Fare-ly fascinating

No, it’s not the preferred mode of travel – especially not since new cars like the Toyota Yaris, with foot-long Quizno’s pricing, came along – but seeing America from a Greyhound seat is part of the American … dare we say it, landscape. We like the way that Robert Gabrick has capsulized the intercity line’s longtime influence in his 162-page retrospective, Going the Greyhound Way.

It’s not a pure technical history, but we’re taking a moment here to salute one of the prettiest hind views in American transportation, belonging to the 1940 PGG 3701, built to Greyhound specifications by Yellow Coach, then a division of General Motors. Greyhound called it the Super-Coach, but it became known in bus folklore as the Silversides, after its side trim. Note railroad-type drumhead on the rear. This was the first successful air-conditioned intercity coach. Yellow Coach, incidentally, was founded by John D. Hertz, the auto-rental king. You can read his profile in the March 2010 issue of Hemmings Classic Car.

Greyhound was also a heavy advertiser during World War II, when its fleet carried a bunch of servicemen, and expected to do so again once hostilities ended. You can get Grabick’s title for $34.95 by calling 800-826-6600 or by visiting www.motorbooks.com.