Michael Jackson's Bus up for auction

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · April 02, 2009, 05:27:19 AM

Hi Guy's,

Anybody intrested in a 97' Neoplan?

1997 Neoplan Touring Coach
The engine in this coach is a Detroit Series 60 with 500 horsepower and 6-speed transmission. The coach, herself is 45-feet long and 13-feet high. Her interior includes features such as leather sofas and recliners, granite surfaces, full-sized shower stall, bathroom including bidet, kitchen, intercom system and an upgraded audio-video system including a large, flat panel television. Winning bidder will travel in the style of Michael Jackson, the way he and his friends did to many concerts and various events.

Estimated Value: $40,000 - $60,000

http://www.juliensauctions.com/index.html

kd5kfl · April 02, 2009, 05:29:45 AM

QuoteWinning bidder will travel in the style of Michael Jackson, the way he and his friends did to many concerts and various events.

I hope not. One is enough.

HighTechRedneck · April 02, 2009, 05:40:03 AM

The estimated value makes a rather interesting statement about Michael Jackson's status as a celebrity. They didn't add any value for it being a celebrity's bus. In fact the estimated value seems lower than I would expect for such a luxury conversion.

John316 · April 02, 2009, 05:47:44 AM

Really that seems pretty low for that bus (I am sure that Sean has a comment). For a fully converted bus that is of that caliber, not too bad unless the drivetrain has some major problems. I won't say what just our shell cost...

God bless,

John

BG6 · April 02, 2009, 06:11:49 AM

Quote from: HighTechRedneck on April 02, 2009, 05:40:03 AM
The estimated value makes a rather interesting statement about Michael Jackson's status as a celebrity. They didn't add any value for it being a celebrity's bus. In fact the estimated value seems lower than I would expect for such a luxury conversion.

Well, who wants a coach that does the Moonwalk . . ?

PADoug · April 02, 2009, 06:54:45 AM

Nick,

That's cruel. I endured almost 5 minutes of nausea trying to find the thing before I gave up. To think the poor man will have to live as a housemaid the rest of his life...ohh the humanity!

Do you have a direct link? I would like to follow up on that auction. We have a very nice looking Neoplan on the E-place just a few miles from me.

Doug

WEC4104 · April 02, 2009, 07:14:09 AM

Yeah, but to drive it you have to be wearing one glove.

bobofthenorth · April 02, 2009, 07:28:02 AM

The detail that caught my attention was that it has a bidet. Somehow for that freak that seems entirely appropriate.

Sean · April 02, 2009, 08:53:02 AM

Quote from: John316 on April 02, 2009, 05:47:44 AM
Really that seems pretty low for that bus (I am sure that Sean has a comment). For a fully converted bus that is of that caliber, not too bad unless the drivetrain has some major problems. I won't say what just out shell cost...

Sure, I can comment.

This bus is a Neoplan Spaceliner, almost identical to my own coach. It is one of perhaps only a dozen or so Spaceliners still on the road in this country.

This particular bus was built at the Neoplan USA plant in Lamar, Colorado. It was a custom order as an empty shell; back then, a new 45' shell with all the factory options sold in the neighborhood of $275k-$300k. As a US-built coach, it has common US-spec running gear such as Meritor axles, Bendix brakes, and, of course, a Detroit/Allison power train (my German-built model has European-spec running gear, including Mercedes axles that are hard to get parts for in the US; my power train was changed out to a Detroit/Allison in Lamar when the coach was just a couple years old). This is also a 45' coach (Neoplan USA also offered 40' as an option), whereas all the European models such as mine were "12 meters" or 39'5" in length.

The reason it looks so low in the photo is that all the air is out of the suspension. That being said, the stock ride height is only 3"-4" higher than that when the coach is fully aired up. Most Spaceliners came with a "high-boy/low-boy" switch that allows the driver to lower the suspension fully (as shown) or raise it fully, which gets you another 3"-4" above stock ride height for clearing obstacles; again, this would just be 8" or so higher than shown in the photo. ("Kneeling" and "tag unloader" were also available air system options.)

One of the drawbacks to the 45' model over the 40' is that the front overhang is substantially longer (the rear overhangs are about the same. This makes for a shallower angle-of-approach; I know that we have to be very choosy about what driveways we enter and exit, and, yes, we've gotten stuck. We've also broken and had to re-glass the nose trim countless times. This problem is much worse for the 45' coaches, although the US models have another inch or two of suspension travel to help compensate.

[Paragraph deleted -- wrong bus in my head. This one was one of the front-door units built for Marathon.]

It is a little disheartening to me to see the value estimated so low. I think this reflects not only Jackson's tremendous fall from grace (although I note his European concert tour sold out in mere hours), but also the fact that Neoplans in the US are orphaned coaches, with no factory service network and increasingly hard-to-find parts. The Jackson coach, as it sits, would make a lousy motor home (wrong floor plan, wrong furnishings) and is too over-the-top as an executive coach. It's not even well set-up for limo service. That makes it an entertainer, and an eccentric one at that, and the market is flooded with them.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

happycamperbrat · April 02, 2009, 08:58:10 AM

I searched and searched thru a bunch of toys and couldnt find the bus either. Can someone give a direct link? Im just curious.....

Sean · April 02, 2009, 09:09:48 AM

Quote from: bobofthenorth on April 02, 2009, 07:28:02 AM
The detail that caught my attention was that it has a bidet. Somehow for that freak that seems entirely appropriate.

Not to burst your bubble, Bob, but Jackson was not the first owner of this bus, and the bidet was specified by the original buyer, an Arab who bought 17 more-or-less identical Spaceliners custom-converted by Marathon Coach. Every single one of them had a bidet.

Out of the 17 coaches, six or seven, I think, stayed here in the US and were positioned around the country for when the owner or his guests visited, the remainder went overseas to several countries he visited occasionally. Neoplan was chosen as the coach builder (by Marathon) because they were the only US builder willing to make right hand drive coaches, and several of the buses ordered were specified with right hand drive because they were being sent to RHD countries.

All of the coaches here in the US came on the used market in the early part of this decade, several are still in service. Jackson picked one of them up. All six or seven of these seem to show up (one at a time) on eBay fairly regularly.

FWIW.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

Sean · April 02, 2009, 09:29:58 AM

Quote from: happycamperbrat on April 02, 2009, 08:58:10 AM
I searched and searched thru a bunch of toys and couldnt find the bus either. Can someone give a direct link? Im just curious.....

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6295364

bobofthenorth · April 02, 2009, 09:49:11 AM

Quote from: Sean on April 02, 2009, 09:09:48 AM
Quote from: bobofthenorth on April 02, 2009, 07:28:02 AM
The detail that caught my attention was that it has a bidet. Somehow for that freak that seems entirely appropriate.
Not to burst your bubble, Bob, but Jackson was not the first owner of this bus, and the bidet was specified by the original buyer, an Arab who bought 17 more-or-less identical Spaceliners custom-converted by Marathon Coach. Every single one of them had a bidet.

HUH??

The fact (?) that some anonymous Arab also liked bidets in his coaches doesn't change the fact that Michael Jackson is a freak. I'm supposed to believe he wouldn't have taken the bidet out if he didn't like it? You couldn't give me a coach that creep had owned let alone get me to part with my hard earned coin for one.

gumpy · April 02, 2009, 10:09:31 AM

OMG! These idiots are charging a 25% buyers premium on the auction!!

Sean · April 02, 2009, 10:14:47 AM

Quote from: bobofthenorth on April 02, 2009, 09:49:11 AM
... doesn't change the fact that Michael Jackson is a freak. ...

Sorry, Bob, I wasn't clear: Yes, Jackson is a freak. I just meant that putting the bidet in wasn't his idea. It's actually a little surprising to me that he didn't change the interior of the coach one iota.

BTW, however I feel about Jackson, I would not hesitate to buy this coach at the right price. Minimum bid is $20k, and the auctioneer is estimating $60k. I think it would be a steal at that price, considering it is a Marathon. You can buy a lot of disinfectant with the money you save

That said, turning it into a livable motor home requires a little work. The bathroom is across the rear wall of the coach, and the galley is just forward of that. So, unless you wanted a complete strip-out, you'd have to put the bedroom in the "penthouse" area above the cockpit, or in what is currently the seating area just behind that.

I don't know if this makes me a freak, too, in your eyes, but I also would have kept the bidet, had I bought one of these coaches (no room in my bus, but, hey, if I had that extra 5'). I happen to think the bidet is an under-appreciated fixture in North America. If you spend any time in Europe you get spoiled by having one everywhere you go. (Although the average American hasn't a clue what it's for.)

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com