In the early 1970s, Wayne Corporation began experimenting with prototype school bus bodies on cutaway chassis. Using a Ford Econoline 300 chassis, Wayne produced a prototype named "Busette". Similar to its GM-based Papoose, the Busette was built on a dual rear-wheel chassis, as Wayne sought to increase stability over standard passenger vehicles. The use of cutaway van chassis would also allow for easier servicing; a van-based bus could be serviced at many automobile dealers, an advantage over buses based on medium-duty trucks.