Bus trends in the 1980s can be summarized as follows: city bus models shifted toward rear-engine layouts, while highway coach models saw the establishment of the semi-express format and the full-scale highway coach class, or 12-meter class, moved toward high-decker designs. Among these trends, the most noteworthy was the establishment of the semi-express category. Of the semi-express buses released at the time, the most significant was the much-loved Daewoo Motor (currently Daewoo Bus Co., Ltd. / hereafter Daewoo Bus) BV113 series, which offered a wide range of models and lineups. In this article, we will take a look at the Daewoo Bus BV113 series.
Planning: BusLife
Photo cooperation: Daewoo Bus Co., Ltd. and others
Text: Jungsup An
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TIP - 1: What is a semi-express bus?
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| A semi-express bus is a type of large highway-type bus whose overall length is shorter than the 12-meter class buses that are generally called highway coaches. In general, the term refers broadly to large buses measuring at least 11.10 meters but less than 11.85 meters in overall length, and equipped with diesel engines of at least 10,000 cc and 220 ps. For reference, among buses produced in Korea as of 2004, Daewoo Bus: BH115E Royal Economy, BH116 Royal Luxury, BH117H Royal Cruistar, Hyundai Motor: Aero Space LD, Aero Space LS, and Kia Motors: KM948 Grandbird SD-I Greenfield fall into the semi-express category. |
Korea's first full-fledged semi-express bus was the RB585, released by Hyundai Motor Company in 1977. At the time, the RB585 featured a Western-style premium design and interior. Until then, apart from relatively expensive 12-meter-class highway coaches that relied heavily on foreign technology, there had been few genuinely premium bus models in Korea. Because the RB585 allowed operators to introduce a stylish, upscale-looking bus at a relatively lower price than full highway coaches, demand gradually increased among intercity, direct-service, and tour-bus operators.
Of course, the predecessor of Daewoo Bus, Saehan Motor Company, had also released a rear-engine premium bus called the BU110 in mid-1976.
However, while the BU110 was virtually equal to its rival RB585 in performance, its overall length was the same 11-meter class as the currently produced Hyundai Motor Super Aero City, so strictly speaking it could not be considered a semi-express bus. Its interior length was also shorter than that of the RB585, yet it was developed as a 45-seat bus like the RB585, so the passenger seating space was not especially generous.
At the time, Saehan Motor also produced the 12-meter-class BU120 in addition to the BU110, but the BU120 was not intended for private, intercity, or tour use. It was released as a full-length city bus model with front and middle doors. For reference, from 1977, the BU120 was introduced by some city bus operators in Seoul and operated as a trial large rear-engine city bus.
In this sense, the late 1970s in Korea can be viewed as the dawn of the semi-express bus category, represented by the birth of Hyundai's RB585.
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TIP - 2: Brief specification comparison of RB585 and BU110
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Hyundai RB585
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Saehan BU110
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Overall length (mm)
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11,435
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10,950
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Overall height (mm)
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3,050
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3,040
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Overall width (mm)
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2,490
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2,460
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,850
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5,500
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Engine model
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MAN D2156HM-U
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MAN D2156HM-U
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Engine output (ps)
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230
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230
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Production period (year/month)
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1977. 04. ~ 1985. 12.
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1976. 07. ~ 1985. 12.
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In the 1980s, intercity, direct-service, and tour-bus operators increasingly preferred semi-express buses, as passengers' living standards rose and expressway networks continued to expand after the 1970s. These operators wanted vehicles that could maintain stable performance during long high-speed journeys while reducing passenger discomfort. As a result, demand for semi-express buses grew throughout the first half of the 1980s. As the decade began, Hyundai's semi-express RB585 continued expanding its market through facelifts to its exterior styling and upgraded interior specifications. By contrast, Saehan's BU110 changed very little.
Model changes of the Hyundai Motor RB585 in the 1980s (left: second phase / center: third phase / right: fourth phase)
However, in March 1982, Saehan Motor used the existing BU110 as a base, extended the overall length to the 11.3-meter class, and released a full-fledged semi-express bus equipped with a MAN D2156HM-V engine producing 239 ps with a displacement of 10,350 cc. This was the first-generation BV113, the entry-level model of the BV113 series.
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First-generation BV113
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Overall length (mm)
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11,230
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Overall height (mm)
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3,040
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Overall width (mm)
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2,460
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,800
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Engine model
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MAN D2156HM-V
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Output (ps)
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239
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Production period (year/month)
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1982. 03. ~ 1987. 09.
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The first-generation BV113 was produced until September 1987 without major model changes. During this period, Saehan Motor changed its name to Daewoo Motor, and from 1983 onward the model was produced under the Daewoo Motor name. Daewoo Bus finally had a full-fledged semi-express bus that could compete with Hyundai's RB585 in performance and styling, but it could not immediately overturn the dominance Hyundai's RB585 had built since the 1970s. The BV113 therefore mainly expanded its market in non-commercial/private vehicles and short- to medium-distance intercity buses. The front mask of the first-generation BV113 was slightly modified and applied to the lower-grade rear-engine BR101.
Using this body, Daewoo developed a city bus model with front and middle doors powered by a MAN D0846HM-V engine producing 185 ps with a displacement of 7,255 cc. This model was the BV101, which helped popularize true rear-engine layouts in Korean city buses during the 1980s.
In late 1982, Asia Motors also began a serious push into the semi-express market. It took its existing full-scale 12-meter highway coach models, the FUSO B909S and B909L,
developed them as lower-cost specifications, and converted them into semi-express versions, releasing the premium AM908(D) semi-express bus model. Asia Motors built on its established strength in the 12-meter highway coach segment.
The AM908(D) series gained popularity, especially because it applied the exterior styling of existing highway coaches directly to semi-express buses. This helped increase its market share. In response, Daewoo Bus developed and released a new BV113 semi-express model that was more upscale and stronger in both exterior styling and interior specifications than the existing BV113, which was based on a more ordinary style.
In March 1983, Daewoo Bus released the new BV113S, a standard-spec semi-express bus developed through a technical partnership with Japan's Isuzu Motors. Although it had the same performance as the existing BV113, it improved the styling and specifications of the model. Of course, the higher-grade BV113R and Daewoo Bus's full-scale 12-meter highway coach, the BH120S, were released around the same time as the BV113S, but the BV113R is covered in the next section.
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BV113S
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Overall length (mm)
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11,230
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Overall height (mm)
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3,040
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Overall width (mm)
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2,460
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,800
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Engine model
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MAN D2156HM-V
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Output (ps)
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239
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Production period (year/month)
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1983. 03. ~ 1987. 09.
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As its model name suggests, the BV113S was the “standard” model of the BV113 series. It was also the first model in Daewoo Bus history to adopt skirt panels—the lower side panels of the bus—which became a common styling feature on semi-express and highway coaches from the 1980s to the early 1990s. The BV113S also adopted a stainless-steel body and a Western vertical-design-based “Aero Cubic exterior style,” a bus-building method that allowed the passenger-side windows to be upgraded to integrated panoramic glass while reducing side aerodynamic resistance.
Thanks to the same performance as the existing BV113 and a more premium style, the BV113S became very popular in short- and medium-distance intercity markets. Its upscale appearance was so influential that many lower-grade existing BV113 buses were restyled to resemble the BV113S.
In the case of the Daewoo Bus BV113S, Daewoo also developed a 10-meter-class derivative body and released an upgraded successor to the BR101. This intercity/private-use model was powered by a MAN D0846HM-V engine producing 185 ps with a displacement of 7,255 cc.
It became the BV101S. However, in early 1984, Hyundai released the rival RB520 series, developed through a technical partnership with Mitsubishi Fuso. Although the BV101S had similar performance, it lagged behind in exterior styling and interior specifications, failed to gain much popularity, and soon gave way to the BS105 series.
As mentioned earlier, when the BV113S was released, another BV113-series model with higher specifications in the same class was released at the same time. This was the BV113R, a model with more upscale exterior styling than the BV113S.
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BV113R
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Overall length (mm)
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11,280
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Overall height (mm)
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3,200
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Overall width (mm)
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2,460
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,800
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Engine model
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MAN D2156HM-V
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Output (ps)
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239
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Production period (year/month)
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1983. 03. ~ 1987. 09.
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As its model name suggests, the BV113R was the “long-distance operation” model of the BV113 series.
The BV113R used the same engine as the BV113 and BV113S, and its interior specifications were not very different from the BV113S. However, its exterior styling borrowed almost directly from Daewoo Bus's 12-meter-class highway coach, the BH120S, which was released around the same time, with only the overall length and height reduced. It was therefore released with styling suited to long-distance high-speed driving, close to a highway coach. (The photo above shows the Daewoo Bus BH120S highway coach.) In particular, the large sunroof-like shape on the front roof section (although it was actually blocked from the inside) was an extremely bold design for a semi-express bus at the time. The masculine and powerful front-end impression created by this styling was enough to suggest the BV113R's success. The BV113R also carried the phrase “first in its class”. This was because it was the first semi-express-class bus that could be equipped with Shutrack, or a roof-mounted air conditioner, as an option, instead of the conventional underfloor air conditioner. Of course, it also had a stainless-steel body specification like the BV113S, and stainless-steel body adoption was even more active on the BV113R. In fact, the BV113R almost treated the stainless-steel body as standard equipment. Thanks to its exterior style, which was almost the same as a 12-meter highway coach, the BV113R became very popular in the tour-bus and medium- to long-distance intercity/direct-service markets. The confidence and success it earned from bus operators later became the foundation that made Daewoo Bus's BH115H premium semi-express bus a “steady seller in the bus world”.
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TIP - 3: What is a stainless-steel body?
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| Most semi-express and highway coach models produced from the 1980s to the early 1990s had lower body sections that were hardly painted and instead were finished with many horizontal corrugations in a silvery metallic look. Because stainless steel was applied to the lower body, this style was called the “stainless-steel body type”, and it was almost a fashion trend among semi-express and highway coaches at the time. The origin of stainless-steel bodies on buses can be found in American highway coaches. In domestically produced Korean buses, the first use of stainless steel came in 1979, when Dong-A Motor, the predecessor of SsangYong Motor, was strongly affected by the second oil shock and produced the MCI Express highway coach through a technical partnership with MCI (Motor Coach Industries) of the United States. It was applied to improve fuel economy on large 12-meter highway coaches. (Of course, the first case in Korea was the GMC PD-4501 Old Look highway coach imported by Greyhound Korea, which was later sold to JoongAng Express.) During the 1980s, stainless-steel bodies became more common because they reduced body weight and helped improve fuel economy, while stainless steel itself offered strong durability. By the late 1980s, stainless-steel bodies had become common on most large buses except mid-size and city-type large buses, and this trend continued until the mid-1990s. Advantages of stainless-steel bodies: (1) compared with ordinary panel bodies, they can reduce body weight and help improve fuel economy; (2) they do not rust, are durable, make body maintenance easier, and help preserve a clean exterior. Disadvantages: (1) initial application costs more than ordinary panel bodies; (2) the paintable area is limited, paint tends to peel easily when applied, and the distinctive horizontal corrugations can make the vehicle's overall styling look heavy. After the mid-1990s, Korean bus exterior styling generally moved toward European-style designs, while panel-body durability and electrodeposition coating technology improved. As a result, the once-popular stainless-steel body style began to disappear. Today in Korea, apart from the stainless-steel body option on Daewoo Bus semi-express and highway coach models, new buses from other manufacturers no longer use this body type. |
In 1983, Dong-A Motor, the predecessor of SsangYong Motor, released the HA30.
Unlike existing semi-express buses made by other manufacturers, it greatly upgraded its interior specifications to almost the same level as 12-meter highway coaches. It was a true highway-concept semi-express bus with an 11.5-meter body and standard air suspension, and it was sold mainly to tour-bus operators.
In 1984, Hyundai's RB585, the main rival of the Daewoo BV113 series, was fully redesigned into its fourth-generation form through a technical partnership with Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hyundai released the premium RB585AR with standard air suspension. In response, Daewoo Bus followed the trend toward more upscale semi-express buses. In October 1984, Daewoo released the BH115Q, equipped with an improved 240-ps MAN D2156HM-Q engine.
This was a premium semi-express bus with an 11.5-meter body, standard air suspension, and an optional swing door, with specifications approaching those of a 12-meter highway coach. However, because this premium semi-express bus with standard air suspension offered highway-coach-level ride comfort, it may have been somewhat ahead of its time, and operator adoption remained quite low until early 1988. Although the BH115Q was Daewoo's first air-suspension model and inherited almost all the convenience features of the 12-meter BH120S highway coach, it still recorded low sales compared with other Daewoo Bus models of the period. At the same time, Daewoo also released the premium BV113Q, essentially a de-contented version of the BH115Q. Its engine, performance, and exterior styling were almost identical to the BH115Q, but air suspension was removed, and its interior specifications and body size were nearly the same as the BV113R.
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BV113Q
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Overall length (mm)
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11,280
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Overall height (mm)
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3,220
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Overall width (mm)
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2,490
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,800
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Engine model
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MAN D2156HM-Q MAN D2366
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Output (ps)
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240
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Production period (year/month)
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1984. 10. ~ 1989. 07.
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As its model name suggests, the BV113Q was the “Quality,” or top-grade, model of the BV113 series. It was Daewoo Bus's highest-grade model in the BV113 semi-express series. At the same time, it was both the culmination of the first-generation BV113 series, which had diversified into many derivative models for different customer uses, and the opening chapter of the second-generation model that would unify the BV113 series. From late 1986, the BV113Q adopted a new MAN D2366 engine with 236 ps and a displacement of 11,050 cc. In October 1987, its front-end and rear-lamp styling underwent a facelift based on bus styling from General Motors (GM) of the United States, another Daewoo technical partner. At that time, the previous BV113, BV113S, and BV113R derivative models—mainly non-commercial/private-use, short-distance intercity, and tour/long-distance intercity/direct-service models—were all discontinued and consolidated into a single facelifted second-generation BV113Q model. According to official Daewoo Bus data, the BV113Q was produced until July 1989, with 1,753 units built.
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TIP - 4: Four types of the BH115Q model (full quotation from Mr. Jeong Dong-uk)
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1. Full-option model with Shutrack, stainless-steel body, and swing door This type was operated as an official vehicle by Taehwa Tourism in Incheon and by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) in Seoul. The KOTRA BH115Q was distinctive because both Shutrack and underfloor air-conditioning equipment were installed.
2. Model with Shutrack, stainless-steel body, and the standard folding door It was most widely operated by Gyeongnam Passenger on the “Seoul Nambu - Yongin” route, and there were no cases of Gyeongnam Passenger operating the BH115Q on other routes. It was also operated by Onyang Transportation and Hanyang Passenger (now Hanyang Express) in Chungnam, later acquired by Hanyang Passenger, operated, and then sold as used vehicles. Seongho Passenger of Pyeongtaek operated it during the Seoul Hannam-dong terminal era and later also sold it as a used vehicle. It was also operated by Busan's Saeaju Tourism.
3. Model without Shutrack, with underfloor air conditioning and a swing door This type was operated only by Donghae Sangsa of Gangneung, mainly on routes from Seoul Sangbong Terminal to the Gangneung area.
4. Model without Shutrack, with underfloor air conditioning and the standard folding door This type was mainly operated on the “Suwon - Anseong” route by Anseong Transportation (formerly Samil Passenger) and Pyeonghwa Bus. It was later acquired by Gyeongil Passenger of Jincheon, Chungbuk. After Yongil Passenger took over the route, Gyeongil Passenger reacquired and operated the vehicles before they were sold to Tongil Tourism (formerly the Reserve Forces Transport Association), where they met their end. Except for the cases above, there were no other regions or companies that operated the BH115Q.
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By the middle of 1985, upgraded 11.5-meter-class models with some turbo engines offered as options were already becoming the standard for semi-express buses.
Around that time, in October 1986, Daewoo Bus developed and released the BH115H Royal Express. Based on the RTS model introduced from its technical partner GM of the United States, it featured a thoroughly Western style, a high-output turbo engine, and a V8 engine configuration. As the successor to the BH115Q, it remained popular from launch until its discontinuation in July 1999, with over 7,400 units produced, and earned the nickname “steady seller of the bus world”.
From the release of the Daewoo Bus BH115H in 1986 onward, the standard for semi-express buses shifted upward to 11.5-meter-class models with standard air suspension. Around this period, competing models in the same class as the Daewoo Bus BH115H included the Hyundai Motor Aero Economy, Asia Motors AM928A, and SsangYong Motor DA33.
Late-1980s air-suspension-equipped semi-express bus models
(left: Hyundai Motor Aero Economy / center: Asia Motors AM928A / right: SsangYong Motor DA33)
Note: the Aero Economy in the photo is the second-generation model from 1991 onward.
Thanks to the success of the BH115H, Daewoo Bus established the BH115H as its standard and representative semi-express model from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. By contrast, the BV113Q had become a relatively low-priced, low-spec semi-express bus. Its sales remained good until 1987, but from 1988 onward, sales declined. This was due to the late-1987 release of the lower-priced BH115 leaf-suspension specification and the successive release of competing models with more refined exterior styling and improved specifications, such as the Hyundai Motor RB600, Aero 600, and Asia Motors AM928. Operators increasingly turned away from the BV113Q, and its sales contracted. Its exterior styling was also older than Daewoo Bus's BS105 city-bus series, which made it an unpopular model.
Late-1980s Hyundai-produced low-cost semi-express bus models (left: RB600 / right: Aero 600)
In response, in August 1989, Daewoo kept the engine and performance of the existing second-generation BV113Q while applying a slightly more upscale version of the city-type BS105 series styling. The result was the second-generation BV113. (Some say the second-generation BV113 was developed based on the BS106, but the BS106 was released about two years later than the second-generation BV113. In fact, the second-generation BV113 influenced the development of the BS106.)
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Second-generation BV113
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Overall length (mm)
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11,280
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Overall height (mm)
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3,220
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Overall width (mm)
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2,490
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Wheelbase (mm)
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5,800
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Engine model
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MAN D2366 DE12
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Output (ps)
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240
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Production period (year/month)
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1989. 08. ~ 1996. 01.
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The second-generation BV113 released at this time had already fallen below the specifications expected of a semi-express bus, because the standard specifications of semi-express buses had moved upward. Although its interior and exterior styling became similar to the BS105 city-type direct-service/private-use specification, its engine performance carried over from the existing BV113Q. It became popular in the non-commercial private school, commuter, and shuttle-bus markets, among short-distance intercity buses, and in the premium city-bus/general-seating bus market that emerged in the mid-1980s. Just before discontinuation, in October 1995, the second-generation BV113 adopted the new DE12 engine, with 240 ps and a displacement of 11,051 cc. Because of its specifications and role, the BV113 from this point onward became not a semi-express bus, but rather an intermediate-purpose bus linking ordinary city buses and semi-express buses. According to official Daewoo Bus data, the second-generation BV113 was produced until January 1996, with 1,227 units built.
1. BH115V The second-generation BV113 was not sold in Korea's domestic market, but in 1994 and 1997 it produced an export-only derivative.
This became Korea's first large bus based on compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. The model was the BH115V. Strictly speaking, it was an 11.5-meter-class model using the BH115H frame, but its body was based on the city-style second-generation BV113. It also used the front end and front/middle doors of the BS106 city bus, making it a full city-bus model. It was exported to Taiwan as a natural-gas city bus, and according to official Daewoo Bus data, 369 units of the BH115V were produced and exported. 2. BH113 (Royal Ace) In August 1994, Daewoo developed and released the low-priced semi-express BH113 by facelift
ing the front and rear of the existing second-generation BV113 into a highway-coach style and upgrading its specifications. Also known by the brand name “Royal Ace”, the BH113 used the integrated-lamp front bumper from the top-grade 12-meter BH120F highway coach and, for the first time in the 113 series, offered a swing door as an option. As the “BH” model code suggested, Daewoo attempted to upgrade its exterior styling toward the semi-express category. However, because the overall body style was based on a city bus, it looked somewhat mismatched. Its installed engines (MAN D2366, DE12, DE12Ti) were also the same lower-spec units used in the BS106 Hi-Power city bus series, so it only looked like a highway coach; its output was low for actual high-speed operation. Even so, like the second-generation BV113, it remained reasonably popular in non-commercial private school, commuter, shuttle-bus, and short-distance intercity markets.
For reference, the BH113 has been discontinued in Korea, but at Daewoo Bus's Chinese local plant, the Guilin-Daewoo Bus (桂林大宇客車有限公司) Guilin plant, it has been produced for the Chinese domestic market under the model name “GDW6111”, with only slight changes in exterior styling and nearly identical performance and interior specifications to the original BH113. According to official Daewoo Bus data, 649 units of the BH113 were produced before discontinuation in July 1998.
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TIP - 5: How to distinguish BV113-series models by their front and rear views
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1. Distinguishing the front mask of BV113-series models
 First-generation BV113 It does not look much different from the existing front-engine BU110.
BV113S The front resembles the Isuzu CSA series from Daewoo's Japanese technical partner. Early models did not have roof speed indicator lights, and the front lamps were the same type as the first-generation BV113. From October 1984 production onward, speed indicator lights were added, and the front-lamp type became the same as the BV113R. On stainless-steel body versions, the front molding also changed from two lines to three lines. The vehicle in the photo does not have a destination-board mounting area between the headlights, but it was originally standard equipment.
BV113R This model also follows the front styling of the Isuzu CSA series. The large sunroof-like shape above the windshield is distinctive. Overall, its styling is almost identical to the early BH120S.
First-generation BV113Q Overall, it looks the same as the BV113R, but a front garnish was added around the headlamp area. The vehicle in the photo is actually the front of a BH115Q, but the BV113Q front end was the same as the BH115Q's.
Second-generation BV113Q The front end was facelifted into a clean Western style. The front bumper and headlights, excluding the turn signals, were shared with the early BH115H.
Second-generation BV113 The front end became almost identical to the lower city-bus-class second-generation BS105. However, although the bumper style was generally based on the BS105, its size was the same as the previous second-generation BV113Q bumper, making it look larger than the BS105's.
2. Distinguishing the rear mask of BV113-series models
 First-generation BV113 It does not look much different from the existing front-engine BU110.
BV113S Compared with the first-generation BV113, the rear-lamp shape changed and a rear garnish was added between the lamps. Other than that, there is no major difference from the first-generation BV113.
BV113R It has the same rear appearance as the BV113S. In fact, the rear of the BV113S and BV113R was identical from release until discontinuation.
First-generation BV113Q Because of the engine change, the side grille moved to the right, unlike the first-generation BV113, BV113S, and BV113R series, and the central grille was not applied. The roof heat-exhaust opening and the exhaust outlet, including the muffler, also moved to the left. The rear window changed from the two-piece type used on the first-generation BV113, BV113S, and BV113R series to a single-piece type, and it became slightly smaller. The rear in the photo appears to have no roof heat-exhaust opening, but originally only the BH115Q lacked it; the BV113Q had one.
Second-generation BV113Q With the engine change to the MAN D2366 as standard, the engine cover changed to the same type as the early BS105, and the rear-lamp cover parts changed to the same type as the early BH115H.
Second-generation BV113 The rear end became almost identical to the lower city-bus-class second-generation BS105. However, the rear lamps differed significantly from the second-generation BS105 in both placement and shape. The rear in the photo is an early version without a grille, but from the 1993 model year until discontinuation, a grille matching the 1993-1995 BS106 type was applied to the left of the license plate on the center engine cover.
Finally, sincere thanks to Daewoo Bus Co., Ltd., Mr. Kim Eun-soo, Mr. Kim Ji-soo, and Mr. Cho Young-jun for taking the above photos. (Partially used as reference material)
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With the discontinuation of the BH113 in July 1998, the 15-year lineage of Daewoo Bus's domestic 11.3-meter-class economical semi-express bus models, represented by the BV113 series, came to an end. However, as if an ending signaled a new beginning, Daewoo Bus's “113” lineage was reborn in a more upgraded form as the 11.5-meter-class 115-line BH115E Royal Economy. Although it was no longer part of the 113 line and the outward traces of the BV113 had disappeared, its role continued in a new form.
The BH115E Royal Economy was based on the same exterior styling as the BH116, while combining the performance and reputation of the earlier BH115H with the price range and interior specifications of the BH113.
In other words, the currently produced Daewoo Bus economical semi-express model with leaf suspension, the BH115E Royal Economy, can be said to have indirectly inherited the position of the BV113 series, the starting point of Daewoo Bus's early semi-express lineage.
Thus, the BV113 series, the origin of Daewoo Bus's semi-express buses and its economical semi-express lineup, used its long history, diverse specifications, and broad lineup—built through competition with many rival models of the time—to become a model that led the semi-express bus trend in the early and mid-1980s. Even today, the BV113-series lineage continues indirectly through the BH115E Royal Economy.
I close this article with the hope that Daewoo Bus's economical semi-express models will continue to develop and carry on this lineage.
