 | This article is written like a story. (March 2011) |
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Predecessor | Wayne Works |
| Founded | 1837 in Union City, Indiana |
| Defunct | 1995 |
| Fate | Defunct (bankruptcy) |
| Successor | Wayne Wheeled Vehicles |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | North America |
| Products | Buses
Second-stage manufacturer |
| Parent | Divco Corporation (1957–1968) Indian Head (1968–1975) Thyssen-Bornemisza (1975–1984) |
| Subsidiaries | Welles Corporation (1925–1990) Miller-Meteor (1956–1979) Cotner-Bevington (1964–1980) |
The Wayne Corporation was an American manufacturer of buses and other vehicles under the "Wayne" marque. The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana. During the middle 20th century, Wayne served as a leading producer of school buses in North America.
Among innovations introduced by the company were the first application of cutaway van chassis for a school bus and an improvement in structural integrity in bus body construction, involving the use of continuous longitudinal panels to reduce body joints; the design change happened before federal standards required stronger body structures in school buses.
After 1980, Wayne faced difficulty competing in a market with overcapacity. Declaring bankruptcy, the company discontinued operations in 1992 and its assets were liquidated. Later in 1992, the Wayne brand was reorganized as Wayne Wheeled Vehicles, doing business through 1995.