Business Combination Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

– ACQUISITION ACTIVITIES

January 1, 2017,

we completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities of

Smeal pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement dated

December 12, 2016.

This acquisition will bring significant scale to our Emergency Response Vehicles segment, expand the geographic reach of our dealer network and add complementary products to our existing emergency response product portfolio

Sales and operatin

g income included in our results since the

January 1, 2017

acquisition are as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
Net sales	$	26,408	$	102,878
Operating income		1,859		850

he above operating income amounts include a

one

-time charge to cost of products sold of

and

$189

for the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017

related to the fair value step-up of inventories acquired from Smeal and sold during the period.

Pro forma Results of Operation (Unaudited)

The following table provides

unaudited pro forma net sales and results of operations for the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017

and

2016,

as if Smeal had been acquired on

January

2016.

The unaudited pro forma results reflect certain adjustments related to the acquisition, such as changes in the depreciation and amortization expense on the Smeal assets acquired resulting from the fair valuation of assets acquired, expenses incurred to complete the acquisition and the impact of acquisition financing. The pro forma results do

not

include any anticipated cost synergies or other effects of the planned integration of Smeal. Accordingly, such pro forma amounts are

not

necessarily indicative of the results that actually would have occurred had the acquisition been completed on the date indicated, nor are they indicative of the future operating results of the combined company.

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30, 2017		September 30, 2016		September 30, 2017		September 3 0, 2016
Net sales	$	189,215	$	165,304	$	526,029	$	493,806

Net earnings attributable to Spartan Motors, Inc.	$	13,589	$	1,745	$	16,310	$	5,729

Diluted net earnings per share	$	0.39	$	0.05	$	0.47	$	0.17

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Purchase Price Allocation

The total purchase price paid for our acquisition of Smeal was

$42,489,

subject to a net working capital adjustment and the tax gross-up payment described below. The consideration paid consisted of

$28,903

in cash, net of cash acquired of

$3,825,

and the forgiveness of certain liabilities owed by the former owners of Smeal to the Company in the amount of

$7,391.

Pursuant to the purchase agreement, the sellers

may

receive additional consideration in the form of a tax gross-up payment, which is payable

later than

April 1, 2018,

and is

not

expected to exceed

$2,400.

The consideration paid is subject to certain post-closing adjustments, including a net working capital adjustment that we expect to finalize in the

fourth

quarter of

2017.

Smeal has been a significant chassis customer of Spartan USA. The price paid pursuant to the purchase agreement was the subject of arm's length negotiation between Smeal and us.

This acquisition w

as accounted for using the purchase method of accounting with the purchase price allocated to the assets purchased and liabilities assumed based upon their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Identifiable intangible assets include trade-names and certain non-patented technology. The preliminary excess of the purchase price over the estimated fair values of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired of

$11,528

was recorded as goodwill. During the

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017,

the Company made certain adjustments to its purchase price allocation to adjust inventory, other current assets, accrued warranty and other liabilities, which resulted in a

$1,666

increase in goodwill. We recorded an estimate for contingent consideration related to the tax gross-up payment, valued in accordance with accounting guidance for business combinations and fair value measurements at

$2,370.

The preliminary allocation of purchase price to assets acquired and liabilities assumed is as follows:

Cash	$	3,825
Accounts receivable		6,523
Inventory		62,368
Other current assets		932
Property, plant and equipment		5,773
Intangible assets		3,900
Goodwill		11,528
Total assets acquired		94,849

Accounts payable		3,935
Customer prepayments		42,929
Accrued war ranty		3,689
Other liabilities		1,807
Total liabilities assumed		52,360

Total purchase price	$	42,489

Contingent Consideration

Pursuant to the purchase agreement, the former owners of Smeal

may

receive additional consideration in the form of a tax gross-up payment

. The purchase agreement specifies that Spartan will make a payment to the former owners of Smeal to cover certain state and federal tax liabilities for the tax year ending

December 31, 2017

that result from the transaction. The payment is expected to be between

and

$2,400

and will be based on state and federal income tax regulations in effect at the time of the payment for the tax year ending

December 31, 2017.

Under tax rules in effect as of the filing of this Form

-Q, the additional consideration would be approximately

$2,400.

In accordance with accounting guidance for business combinations, the value of the future consideration was recorded based upon tax rules in effect at the time of the acquisition, discounted to

January 1, 2017

using a risk free discount rate of

1%.

Changes in this estimate, other than changes in its present value, will be reflected as adjustments to the purchase price for a period of up to

one

year after the closing. Changes in the present value of the contingent consideration will be reflected in operating income in the period of such change.

Goodwill Assigned

The acquisition resulted in the recognition, on a preliminary basis,

$11,528

of goodwill, which is expected to be deductible for tax purposes. The goodwill recognized is subject to a final net working capital adjustment and any necessary adjustment to the contingent consideration.

Goodwill consists of expected synergies resulting from the acquisition and the estimated value of the workforce employed. Key areas of expected cost savings include an expanded dealer network; complementary product portfolios; manufacturing and supply chain work process improvements; and the elimination of redundant corporate overhead.

SPARTAN MOTORS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(Amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Financing for the Acquisition

Our acquisition of Smeal was financed

using

$32,800

borrowed from our existing

$100,000

line of credit, as set forth in the Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of

October 31, 2016,

by and among us and our affiliates, as borrowers; certain lenders; Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent; and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner.

Acquisition Related Expenses

During

the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017,

we recorded pretax charges totaling

$11

and

$742

for legal expenses and other transaction costs related to the acquisition. During the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2016,

we recorded pretax charges totaling

$159

and

$159

for legal expenses and other transaction costs related to the acquisition. These charges, which were expensed in accordance with the accounting guidance for business combinations, were recorded in “Selling, general and administrative” and reflected within the “Other” column in the business segment table in Note

Business Segments

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

– GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

Goodwill

As described in Note

Acquisition Activities,

we acquired substantially all of the assets and related liabilities of Smeal on

January 1, 2017.

The difference between the consideration paid and the acquisition-date fair value of the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed was recognized as goodwill, as disclosed in the table below.

Due to the short period of time that has elapsed since the acquisition of Smeal, it is our assessment that the goodwill at Smeal is

not

impaired. The goodwill at Smeal will be evaluated as part of the next annual assessment which will occur as of

October 1, 2017,

unless there is a triggering event that would necessitate an earlier evaluation.

During the

second

quarter of

2017,

operations related to the manufacturing of our Reach delivery vehicle were reassigned to our Specialty Chassis and Vehicles segment from our Fleet Vehicles and Services segment

to reflect the information and reports that our chief operating decision makers use to allocate resources to and assess the performance of our operating segments. As a result, a portion of the goodwill assigned to our Fleet Vehicles and Services segment was reassigned to our Specialty Chassis and Vehicles segment using a relative fair value approach.

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill, by reportable segment, are as follows:

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles & Services			Specialty Chassis & Vehicles		Total
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$	-	$	15,961		$	-	$	15,961
Acquisition of Smeal		11,528		-			-		11,528
Reassignment of goodwill		-		(638	)		638		-
Balance as of September 30, 2017	$	11,528	$	15,323		$	638	$	27,489

With the acquisition of

Smeal, we acquired other intangible assets besides goodwill. We recorded

$3,900

in intangible assets from the acquisition. The intangible assets consist of unpatented technology and various trade names. The unpatented technology will be amortized using the straight-line method over its estimated remaining useful life of

years, consistent with the pattern of economic benefits estimated to be received. The trade names are considered to have indefinite lives, and as such will

not

be amortized but will be tested for impairment annually or if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than

not

that the trade names are impaired.

The following table provides information regarding our other intangible assets:

	As of September 30, 2017						As of December 31, 201 6
	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net
Customer and dealer relationships	$	6,170	$	3,619	$	2,551	$	6,170	$	3,348	$	2,822
Acquired product development project		1,860		1,427		433		1,860		1,167		693
Unpatented technology		1,500		112		1,388		-		-		-
Non-compete agreements		400		400		-		400		400		-
Backlog		320		320		-		320		320		-
Trade Names		5,270		-		5,270		2,870		-		2,870
	$	15,520	$	5,878	$	9,642	$	11,620	$	5,235	$	6,385

We recorded

intangible asset amortization expense of

$214

and

$177

during the

three

months ended

September 30, 2017

and

2016

and

$643

and

$531

during the

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017

and

2016.

The estimated remaining amortization associated

with finite-lived intangible assets is expected to be expensed as follows:

	Amount

2017	$	190
2018		816
2019		449
2020		423
2021		399
Thereafter		2,095
Total	$	4,372

The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final. May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.

+ References + Details

Note 5 - Debt

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Debt Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

- DEBT

Long-term debt consists of the following:

	September 30 , 2017			December 31, 2016
Line of credit revolver (1):	$	22,800		$	-
Capital lease obligations		89			139
Total debt		22,889			139
Less current portion of long-term debt		(49	)		(65	)
Total long-term debt	$	22,840		$	74

(

)

October 31, 2016,

we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement") by and among us, certain of our subsidiaries, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent ("Wells Fargo"), and the lenders party thereto consisting of Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and PNC Bank (the "Lenders"). Under the Credit Agreement, we

may

borrow up to

$100,000

from the Lenders under a

three

-year unsecured revolving credit facility. We

may

also request an increase in the facility of up to

$35,000

in the aggregate, subject to customary conditions. This line carries an interest rate of the higher of either (i) the highest of prime rate, the federal funds effective rate plus

0.5%,

or the

one

month adjusted LIBOR plus

1.00%;

or (ii) adjusted LIBOR plus margin based upon our ratio of debt to earnings from time to time. We had

borrowings on this line at

December 31, 2016.

January 2017,

we borrowed

$32,800

from our credit line to fund our acquisition of Smeal, and repaid

$10,000

of this borrowing in

May 2017.

GM and Chrysler have the ability to draw up to

$10,000

against our line of credit in relation to chassis supplied to Spartan USA under chassis bailment inventory programs. The applicable borrowing rate including margin was

2.75%

(or

one

-month LIBOR plus

1.50%

) at

September 30, 2017.

Under the terms of the primary line of credit agreement, we are required to maintain certain financial ratios and other financial conditions, which limited our available borrowings under our line of credit to a total of

approximately

$45,500

and

$73,600

September 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016,

net of borrowings outstanding. The agreement also prohibits us from incurring additional indebtedness; limits certain acquisitions, investments, advances or loans; limits our ability to pay dividends in certain circumstances; and restricts substantial asset sales. At

September 30, 2017

and

December

31,

2016,

we were in compliance with all debt covenants.

Note 6 - Restructuring

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

–

RESTRUCTURING

During the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017,

we incurred restructuring charges related to a company-wide initiative to streamline operations and integrate our Smeal acquisition.

During the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2016,

we incurred restructuring charges related to efforts undertaken to upgrade production processes at our Brandon, South Dakota and Ephrata, Pennsylvania locations.

Restructuring charges included in our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017,

broken down by segment, are as follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Other		Total
Cost of products sold
Accrual for severance	$	-	$	-	$	-	$	-	$	-

General and Administrative
Accrual for severance		-		232		-		-		232
Total restructuring	$	-	$	232	$	-	$	-	$	232

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Other		Total
Cost of products sold
Accrual for severance	$	43	$	97	$	16	$	-	$	156

General and Administrative
Accrual for severance		367		547		79		51		1,044
Total restructuring	$	410	$	644	$	95	$	51	$	1,200

Restructuring

charges for the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2016

reflected within Operating expense in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations were

$304

and

$871

and related to manufacturing process reengineering. All of these charges were related to our Emergency Response Vehicles segment.

The following table provides a summary of the compensation related charges incurred

during the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017

as part of our restructuring initiatives, along with the related outstanding balances to be paid in relation to those expenses, which is reflected within Accrued compensation and related taxes on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

	Severance
Balance January 1, 201 7	$	-
Accrual for severance		643
Payments and adjustments made in period		(201	)
Balance March 31, 2017		442
Accrual for severance		325
Payments and adjustments made in period		(540	)
Balance June 30, 2017		227
Accrual for severance		116
Payments and adjustments made in period		(250	)
Balance September 30, 2017	$	93

There were

compensation related charges incurred during the

three

and

nine

months ended

September 30, 2016.

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENT LIABILITIES

Under the terms of

our credit agreement with our banks, we have the ability to issue letters of credit totaling

$20,000.

September 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016,

we had outstanding letters of credit totaling

$906

and

$1,599

related to certain emergency response vehicle contracts and our workers compensation insurance.

September 30, 2017,

we and our subsidiaries were parties, both as plaintiff and defendant, to a number of lawsuits and claims arising out of the normal course of our businesses. In the opinion of management, our financial position, future operating results or cash flows will

not

be materially affected by the final outcome of these legal proceedings.

Chassis Agreements

We are

party to chassis bailment inventory agreements with General Motors Company (“GM”) and Chrysler Group, LLC (“Chrysler”) which allow GM and Chrysler to draw up to

$10,000

against our revolving credit line for chassis placed at our facilities. As a result of these agreements, there was

$144

and

$784

outstanding on our revolving credit line at

September 30, 2017

and

December 31, 2016.

Under the terms of the bailment inventory agreements, these chassis never become our property and the amount drawn against the credit line will be repaid by a GM or Chrysler dealer at the time an order is placed for

one

of our bodies, utilizing a GM or Chrysler chassis. As such, the chassis, and the related draw on the line of credit, are

not

reflected in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Warranty Related

provide limited warranties against assembly/construction defects. These warranties generally provide for the replacement or repair of defective parts or workmanship for a specified period following the date of sale. The end users also

may

receive limited warranties from suppliers of components that are incorporated into our chassis and vehicles.

Certain warranty and other related claims involve matters of dispute that ultimately are resolved by negotiation, arbitration or litigation. Infrequently, a material warranty issue can arise which is beyond the scope of

our historical experience. We provide for any such warranty issues as they become known and are estimable. It is reasonably possible that additional warranty and other related claims could arise from disputes or other matters beyond the scope of our historical experience.

Changes in

our warranty liability during the

nine

months ended

September 30, 2017

and

2016

were as follows:

	201 7			201 6
Balance of accrued warranty at January 1	$	19,334		$	16,610
Warranties issued during the period		5,717			3,733
Cash settlements made during the period		(10,036	)		(7,727	)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations		1,082			6,057	)
Assumed warranties outstanding at Smeal on January 1, 2017		3,689			-
Balance of accrued warranty at September 30	$	19,786		$	18,673

Spartan-Gimaex joint venture

February

2015,

Spartan USA and Gimaex Holding, Inc. mutually agreed to begin discussions regarding the dissolution of the Spartan-Gimaex joint venture. In

June 2015,

Spartan USA and Gimaex Holding, Inc. entered into court proceedings to determine the terms of the dissolution. In

February 2017,

by agreement of the parties, the court proceeding was dismissed with prejudice and the judge entered an order to this effect as the parties agreed to seek a dissolution plan on their own.

dissolution terms have been determined as of the date of this Form

-Q. Costs associated with the wind-down will be impacted by the final dissolution agreement. In accordance with accounting guidance, the costs we have accrued so far represent the low end of the range of the estimated total charges that we believe we

may

incur related to the wind-down. While we are unable to determine the final cost of the wind-down with certainty at this time, we

may

incur additional charges, depending on the final terms of the dissolution, and such charges could be material to our future operating results.

Note 8 - Taxes	9 Months Ended
Note 8 - Taxes	Sep. 30, 2017
Notes to Financial Statements
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]	N OTE 8 – TAXES Our effective income tax rate was - 38.4% and - 35.9% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and was - 4.3% and - 0.1% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Our effective tax rates during 2017 and 2016 were impacted by the deferred tax asset valuation allowance recorded in 2015. Based upon an assessment of the available positive and negative evidence as of September 30, 2017, we determined that it was more likely than not that a significant portion of the valuation allowance recorded against our deferred tax assets was no longer necessary. A major portion of such positive evidence included cumulative profits incurred over the three year period ended September 30, 2017 as well as forecasted future profits. Our remaining valuation allowance at September 30, 2017 of $3,164 offsets deferred tax assets for certain state net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, based upon an assessment of anticipated future taxable income apportionable to those states. Taxes of $( 3,736 ) and $( 3,561 ) recorded during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 reflects the reversal of $6,577 of the valuation allowance originally recorded in 2015. The valuation allowance resulted in a tax rate applied to 2016 earnings of 0% due to our ability to offset current period tax liability against our recorded valuation allowance. Taxes of $( 113 ) and $( 11 ) recorded during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 result from certain discrete adjustments, including adjustments for uncertain tax positions and a true-up of certain prior provisions for various state tax liabilities to the amounts reported on the actual tax filings.

Note 9 - Business Segments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE

- BUSINESS SEGMENTS

identify our reportable segments based on our management structure and the financial data utilized by our chief operating decision makers to assess segment performance and allocate resources among our operating units. We have

three

reportable segments: Emergency Response Vehicles, Fleet Vehicles and Services, and Specialty Chassis and Vehicles. As a result of a realignment of our operating segments completed during the

second

quarter of

2017,

certain fleet vehicles are now manufactured by our Specialty Chassis and Vehicles segment and sold via intercompany transactions to our Fleet Vehicles and Services segment, which then sells the vehicles to the final customer. Segment results from prior periods are shown reflecting the estimated impact of this realignment as if it had been in place for those periods.

Beginning in

2017,

we evaluate the performance of our reportable segments based on Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, and other adjustments made in order to present comparable results from period to period. These adjustments include restructuring charges and items related to our acquisition of Smeal, such as expenses incurred to complete the acquisition, the impact of fair value adjustments to inventory acquired from Smeal, and the impact on the timing of the recognition of gross profit for our chassis that are utilized by our recently acquired Smeal operations. We exclude these items from earnings because we believe they will be incurred infrequently and/or are otherwise

not

indicative of a segment's regular, ongoing operating performance. For those reasons, Adjusted EBITDA is also used as a performance metric for our executive compensation program, as discussed in our proxy statement for our

2017

annual meeting of shareholders, which proxy statement was filed with the SEC on

April 13, 2017.

Our

Emergency Response Vehicles segment consists of the emergency response chassis operations at our Charlotte, Michigan location and our operations at our Brandon, South Dakota; Snyder and Neligh, Nebraska; Delavan, Wisconsin; and Ephrata, Pennsylvania locations, along with our Spartan-Gimaex joint venture. This segment engineers and manufactures emergency response chassis and vehicles.

Our

Fleet Vehicles and Services segment consists of our operations at our Bristol and Wakarusa, Indiana locations, along with our operations at our up-fit centers in Kansas City, Missouri and Saltillo, Mexico and focuses on designing and manufacturing walk-in vans for the delivery and service market and the production of commercial truck bodies along with related aftermarket parts and assemblies.

Our

Specialty Chassis and Vehicles segment consists of our Charlotte, Michigan operations that engineer and manufacture motor home chassis, defense vehicles and other specialty chassis and distribute related aftermarket parts and assemblies.

Appropriate expense amounts are allocated to the

three

reportable segments and are included in their reported operating income or loss.

The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described, or referred to, in Note

General and Summary of Accounting Policies

. Assets and related depreciation expense in the column labeled “Eliminations and other” pertain to capital assets maintained at the corporate level. Eliminations for inter-segment sales are shown in the column labeled “Eliminations and other”. Segment loss from operations in the “Eliminations and other” column contains corporate related expenses

not

allocable to the operating segments. Interest expense and Taxes on income are

not

included in the information utilized by the chief operating decision makers to assess segment performance and allocate resources, and accordingly, are excluded from the segment results presented below.

Three Months Ended

September

2017

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	63,369	$	-	$	-	$	-		$	63,369
Fleet vehicle sales		-		66,850		4,312		(4,312	)		66,850
Motor home chassis sales		-		-		37,034		-			37,034
Other specialty vehicle sales		-		-		4,738		-			4,738
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		2,503		11,787		2,934		-			17,224

Total sales	$	65,872	$	78,637	$	49,018	$	(4,312	)	$	189,215

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	575	$	856	$	368	$	846		$	2,645
Adjusted EBITDA		2,501		8,785		5,149		(3,541	)		12,894
Segment assets		131,806		78,766		32,770		77,524			320,866
Capital expenditures		499		66		28		731			1,324

Three Months Ended

September

2016

	Emergency Response Vehicles			Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	40,185		$	-	$	-	$	-		$	40,185
Fleet vehicle sales		-			57,422		2,244		(2,244	)		57,422
Motor home chassis sales		-			-		22,344		-			22,344
Other specialty vehicle sales		-			-		4,091		-			4,091
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		1,934			20,537		2,151		-			24,622

Total sales	$	42,119		$	77,959	$	30,830	$	(2,244	)	$	148,664

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	217		$	813	$	186	$	962		$	2,178
Adjusted EBITDA		(1,166	)		10,118		1,330		(2,909	)		7,373
Segment assets		75,086			76,080		33,129		76,953			261,248
Capital expenditures		387			140		2,439		539			3,505

Nine

Months Ended

September

30,

2017

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	220,112	$	-	$	-	$	-		$	220,112
Fleet vehicle sales		-		154,178		4,739		(4,739	)		154,178
Motor home chassis sales		-		-		91,280		-			91,280
Other specialty vehicle sales		-		-		13,753		-			13,753
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		6,810		31,909		7,987		-			46,706

Total sales	$	226,922	$	186,087	$	117,759	$	(4,739	)	$	526,029

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	1,711	$	2,618	$	942	$	2,064		$	7,335
Adjusted EBITDA		510		21,203		9,415		(9,098	)		22,030
Segment assets		131,806		78,766		32,770		77,524			320,866
Capital expenditures		1,216		342		270		1,934			3,762

Nine

Months Ended

September 30, 2016

	Emergency Response Vehicles			Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	130,080		$	-	$	-	$	-		$	130,080
Fleet vehicle sales		-			154,774		3,680		(3,680	)		154,774
Motor home chassis sales		-			-		73,254		-			73,254
Other specialty vehicle sales		-			-		16,722		-			16,722
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		5,555			56,292		8,250		-			70,097

Total sales	$	135,635		$	211,066	$	101,906	$	(3,680	)	$	444,927

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	636		$	2,379	$	570	$	2,157		$	5,742
Adjusted EBITDA		(4,532	)		23,555		6,456		(7,038	)		18,441
Segment assets		75,086			76,080		33,129		76,953			261,248
Capital expenditures		1,070			1,760		4,690		1,779			9,299

The table below present

s the reconciliation of our consolidated Adjusted EBITDA to net income. Adjusted EBITDA is

not

a measurement of our financial performance under GAAP and should

not

be considered as an alternative to net income. Adjusted EBITDA

may

have limitations as an analytical tool and should

not

be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. In addition, although we have excluded certain charges in calculating Adjusted EBITDA, we

may

in the future incur expenses similar to these adjustments, despite our assessment that such expenses are infrequent and/or

not

indicative of our regular, ongoing operating performance. Our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA should

not

be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or infrequent items.

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017			Three Months Ended September 30, 2016			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016
Net income	$	13,470		$	2,744		$	13,494		$	7,662
Add:
Interest expense		189			112			582			314
Taxes		(3,736	)		(113	)		(3,561	)		(11	)
Depreciation and amortization expense		2,645			2,178			7,335			5,742
EBITDA		12,568			4,921			17,850			13,707
Add:
Restructuring expense		232			304			1,200			871
Acquisition expense		354			-			1,085			-
Asset impairment		-			406			-			406
Recall expense		(368	)		1,742			(368	)		3,457
Impact of inventory fair value step-up		-			-			189			-
Impact of chassis shipments to Smeal		108			-			2,073			-
Adjusted EBITDA	$	12,894		$	7,373		$	22,029		$	18,441

Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]	New Accounting Standards In February 2017 the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017 - 05, Other Income-Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610 - 20 ) (“ASU 2017 - 05” ). ASU 2017 - 05 is intended to provide guidance for when gains and losses on nonfinancial assets should be applied to a financial asset by defining the term “nonfinancial asset”. ASU 2017 - 05 will go into effect when the revenue standard issued in ASU 2014 - 09 becomes effective. We believe that the adoption of the provisions of ASU 2017 - 05 will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017 - 04, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (Topic 350 ): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment (“ASU 2017 - 4” ). ASU 2017 - 4 eliminates the requirement to determine the fair value of individual assets and liabilities of a reporting unit to measure goodwill impairment. Under the amendments in the new ASU, goodwill impairment testing will be performed by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. The new standard is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and should be applied on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted for annual or interim goodwill impairment testing performed after January 1, 2017. We believe that the adoption of the provisions of ASU 2017 - 04 will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued A ccounting Standards Update 2017 - 01, Business Combinations (Topic 805 ): Clarifying the Definition of a Business (“ASU 2017 - 01” ), which provides guidance to entities to assist with evaluating when a set of transferred assets and activities (collectively, the "set") is a business and provides a screen to determine when a set is not a business. Under the new guidance, when substantially all of the fair value of gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset, or group of similar assets, the assets acquired would not represent a business. Also, to be considered a business, an acquisition would have to include an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to produce outputs. The new standard is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and should be applied on a prospective basis to any transactions occurring within the period of adoption. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual periods in which the financial statements have not been issued. We believe that the adoption of the provisions of ASU 2017 - 01 will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In August 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230 ) (“ASU 2016 - 15” ). ASU 2016 - 15 is intended to reduce diversity in current practice regarding the manner in which certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the cash flow statement. ASU 2016 - 15 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. We early adopted ASU 2016 - 15, effective with the third quarter of 2017, which did not have an impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows through September 30, 2017. In June 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016 - 13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses: Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016 - 13” ). ASU 2016 - 13 is intended to introduce a revised approach to the recognition and measurement of credit losses, emphasizing an updated model based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. The provisions of this standard are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and early adoption is permitted. We believe that the adoption of the provisions of ASU 2016 - 13 will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 09, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASU 2016 - 09” ). ASU 2016 - 09 simplifies the accounting for a stock payment’s tax consequences by requiring the recognition of the income tax effects of awards in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. It also allows a company to elect to account for forfeitures as they occur rather than on an estimated basis and revises the classification of certain tax payments related to stock compensation on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016 - 09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The impact of our adoption of ASU 2016 - 09 for the year ending December 31, 2017 will depend on market factors and the timing and intrinsic value of future stock based compensation award vesting. Our adoption of ASU 2016 - 09 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows through September 30, 2017. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 02, Leases (“ASU 2016 - 02” ). The new standard establishes a right-of-use (“ROU”) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the income statement. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. We are currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2016 - 02 on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2015 - 11, Inventory (Topic 330 ) – Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU 2015 - 11” ). ASU 2015 - 11 requires entities that measure inventory using the FIFO or average cost methods to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value to more closely align the measurement of inventory in GAAP with International Financial Reporting Standards. Net realizable value is defined as estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less reasonably predictable costs of completion and disposal. ASU 2015 - 11 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2016. Our adoption of ASU 2015 - 11 had no impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014 - 09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606 ) (“ASU 2014 - 09” ). ASU 2014 - 09 is based on the principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. ASU 2014 - 09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period, and may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of initial application. We have undertaken a detailed analysis of our various contracts with customers and revenue streams. We are currently in the process of evaluating aspects of revenue recognition for certain of our contracts with customers and expect to complete this evaluation in the fourth quarter of 2017. While our evaluation is not yet complete, based on our analysis to date we currently believe that our revenue recognition will be mostly consistent under both the current and new standard, with performance obligations being satisfied under the majority of our contracts with customers upon delivery of our products. We expect to utilize the practical expedient to not recognize the effects of financing when we receive customer deposits for contracts that will be fulfilled in less than one year. We expect that the disclosures in the notes to our consolidated financial statements related to revenue recognition will be significantly expanded under the new standard, specifically regarding the quantitative and qualitative information about performance obligations, and changes in contract assets and liabilties. We currently expect to adopt the new standard using the modified retrospective approach, under which the cumulative effect of the initial application of the new standard will be recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings, in the first quarter of 2018. In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606 ), Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) (“ASU 2016 - 08” ). ASU 2016 - 08 clarifies the implementation guidance for principal-versus-agent considerations in the revenue recognition standard. A principal-versus-agent consideration applies to sales that involve two or more suppliers to a customer. Each participant in the sale must determine whether they control the good or service and are entitled to the gross amount of the transaction or are acting as an agent and should collect only a fee or commission for arranging the sale. ASU 2016 - 08 will go into effect when the revenue standard issued in ASU 2014 - 09 becomes effective. In April 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606 ), Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing (“ASU 2016 - 10” ). ASU 2016 - 10 clarifies the implementation guidance in Topic 606 for identifying performance obligations and determining when to recognize revenue on licensing agreements for intellectual property. ASU 2016 - 10 removes the requirement to assess whether promised goods or services are performance obligations if they are immaterial to the contract with the customer and allows an entity to elect to account for shipping and handling activities that occur after the customer has obtained control of a good as an activity to fulfill the promise to transfer the good rather than as an additional promised service. ASU 2016 - 10 also includes implementation guidance on determining whether a license granted by an entity provides a customer with a right to use the intellectual property, which is satisfied at a point in time, or a right to access the intellectual property, which is satisfied over time. ASU 2016 - 10 will go into effect when the revenue standard issued in ASU 2014 - 09 becomes effective. In May 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016 - 12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606 ), Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients (“ASU 2016 - 12” ). ASU 2016 - 12 clarifies the implementation guidance on assessing collectability, presentation of sales taxes, non-cash consideration and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. ASU 2016 - 12 will go into effect when the revenue standard issued in ASU 2014 - 09 becomes effective.

Note 2 - Acquisition Activities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Financial Information of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017		Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
Net sales	$	26,408	$	102,878
Operating income		1,859		850

Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]

Cash	$	3,825
Accounts receivable		6,523
Inventory		62,368
Other current assets		932
Property, plant and equipment		5,773
Intangible assets		3,900
Goodwill		11,528
Total assets acquired		94,849

Accounts payable		3,935
Customer prepayments		42,929
Accrued war ranty		3,689
Other liabilities		1,807
Total liabilities assumed		52,360

Total purchase price	$	42,489

Smeal Acquisition [Member]

Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
	September 30, 2017		September 30, 2016		September 30, 2017		September 3 0, 2016
Net sales	$	189,215	$	165,304	$	526,029	$	493,806

Net earnings attributable to Spartan Motors, Inc.	$	13,589	$	1,745	$	16,310	$	5,729

Diluted net earnings per share	$	0.39	$	0.05	$	0.47	$	0.17

Note 3 - Inventories (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

	September 30 ,			December 31,
	201 7			201 6
Finished goods	$	17,790		$	12,743
Work in process		24,623			14,063
Raw materials and purchased components		55,620			35,458
Reserve for slow-moving inventory		(2,963	)		(3,368	)
Total inventory	$	95,070		$	58,896

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles & Services			Specialty Chassis & Vehicles		Total
Balance as of December 31, 2016	$	-	$	15,961		$	-	$	15,961
Acquisition of Smeal		11,528		-			-		11,528
Reassignment of goodwill		-		(638	)		638		-
Balance as of September 30, 2017	$	11,528	$	15,323		$	638	$	27,489

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

	As of September 30, 2017						As of December 31, 201 6
	Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net		Gross carrying amount		Accumulated amortization		Net
Customer and dealer relationships	$	6,170	$	3,619	$	2,551	$	6,170	$	3,348	$	2,822
Acquired product development project		1,860		1,427		433		1,860		1,167		693
Unpatented technology		1,500		112		1,388		-		-		-
Non-compete agreements		400		400		-		400		400		-
Backlog		320		320		-		320		320		-
Trade Names		5,270		-		5,270		2,870		-		2,870
	$	15,520	$	5,878	$	9,642	$	11,620	$	5,235	$	6,385

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

	Amount

2017	$	190
2018		816
2019		449
2020		423
2021		399
Thereafter		2,095
Total	$	4,372

Note 5 - Debt (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block]

	September 30 , 2017			December 31, 2016
Line of credit revolver (1):	$	22,800		$	-
Capital lease obligations		89			139
Total debt		22,889			139
Less current portion of long-term debt		(49	)		(65	)
Total long-term debt	$	22,840		$	74

Tabular disclosure of long-debt instruments or arrangements, including identification, terms, features, collateral requirements and other information necessary to a fair presentation. These are debt arrangements that originally required repayment more than twelve months after issuance or greater than the normal operating cycle of the entity, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21475-112644

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 470
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75038535&loc=d3e64711-112823

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(e),(f))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21538-112644

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21506-112644

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28541-108399

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84159872&loc=d3e21521-112644

+ Details

Note 6 - Restructuring (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Restructuring Reserve by Type of Cost [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Other		Total
Cost of products sold
Accrual for severance	$	-	$	-	$	-	$	-	$	-

General and Administrative
Accrual for severance		-		232		-		-		232
Total restructuring	$	-	$	232	$	-	$	-	$	232

	Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Other		Total
Cost of products sold
Accrual for severance	$	43	$	97	$	16	$	-	$	156

General and Administrative
Accrual for severance		367		547		79		51		1,044
Total restructuring	$	410	$	644	$	95	$	51	$	1,200

Restructuring and Related Costs [Table Text Block]

	Severance
Balance January 1, 201 7	$	-
Accrual for severance		643
Payments and adjustments made in period		(201	)
Balance March 31, 2017		442
Accrual for severance		325
Payments and adjustments made in period		(540	)
Balance June 30, 2017		227
Accrual for severance		116
Payments and adjustments made in period		(250	)
Balance September 30, 2017	$	93

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	201 7			201 6
Balance of accrued warranty at January 1	$	19,334		$	16,610
Warranties issued during the period		5,717			3,733
Cash settlements made during the period		(10,036	)		(7,727	)
Changes in liability for pre-existing warranties during the period, including expirations		1,082			6,057	)
Assumed warranties outstanding at Smeal on January 1, 2017		3,689			-
Balance of accrued warranty at September 30	$	19,786		$	18,673

Note 9 - Business Segments (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	63,369	$	-	$	-	$	-		$	63,369
Fleet vehicle sales		-		66,850		4,312		(4,312	)		66,850
Motor home chassis sales		-		-		37,034		-			37,034
Other specialty vehicle sales		-		-		4,738		-			4,738
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		2,503		11,787		2,934		-			17,224

Total sales	$	65,872	$	78,637	$	49,018	$	(4,312	)	$	189,215

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	575	$	856	$	368	$	846		$	2,645
Adjusted EBITDA		2,501		8,785		5,149		(3,541	)		12,894
Segment assets		131,806		78,766		32,770		77,524			320,866
Capital expenditures		499		66		28		731			1,324

	Emergency Response Vehicles			Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	40,185		$	-	$	-	$	-		$	40,185
Fleet vehicle sales		-			57,422		2,244		(2,244	)		57,422
Motor home chassis sales		-			-		22,344		-			22,344
Other specialty vehicle sales		-			-		4,091		-			4,091
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		1,934			20,537		2,151		-			24,622

Total sales	$	42,119		$	77,959	$	30,830	$	(2,244	)	$	148,664

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	217		$	813	$	186	$	962		$	2,178
Adjusted EBITDA		(1,166	)		10,118		1,330		(2,909	)		7,373
Segment assets		75,086			76,080		33,129		76,953			261,248
Capital expenditures		387			140		2,439		539			3,505

	Emergency Response Vehicles		Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	220,112	$	-	$	-	$	-		$	220,112
Fleet vehicle sales		-		154,178		4,739		(4,739	)		154,178
Motor home chassis sales		-		-		91,280		-			91,280
Other specialty vehicle sales		-		-		13,753		-			13,753
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		6,810		31,909		7,987		-			46,706

Total sales	$	226,922	$	186,087	$	117,759	$	(4,739	)	$	526,029

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	1,711	$	2,618	$	942	$	2,064		$	7,335
Adjusted EBITDA		510		21,203		9,415		(9,098	)		22,030
Segment assets		131,806		78,766		32,770		77,524			320,866
Capital expenditures		1,216		342		270		1,934			3,762

	Emergency Response Vehicles			Fleet Vehicles and Services		Specialty Chassis and Vehicles		Eliminations and Other			Consolidated

Emergency response vehicle sales	$	130,080		$	-	$	-	$	-		$	130,080
Fleet vehicle sales		-			154,774		3,680		(3,680	)		154,774
Motor home chassis sales		-			-		73,254		-			73,254
Other specialty vehicle sales		-			-		16,722		-			16,722
Aftermarket parts and accessories sales		5,555			56,292		8,250		-			70,097

Total sales	$	135,635		$	211,066	$	101,906	$	(3,680	)	$	444,927

Depreciation and amortization expense	$	636		$	2,379	$	570	$	2,157		$	5,742
Adjusted EBITDA		(4,532	)		23,555		6,456		(7,038	)		18,441
Segment assets		75,086			76,080		33,129		76,953			261,248
Capital expenditures		1,070			1,760		4,690		1,779			9,299

Schedule of Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended September 30, 2017			Three Months Ended September 30, 2016			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017			Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016
Net income	$	13,470		$	2,744		$	13,494		$	7,662
Add:
Interest expense		189			112			582			314
Taxes		(3,736	)		(113	)		(3,561	)		(11	)
Depreciation and amortization expense		2,645			2,178			7,335			5,742
EBITDA		12,568			4,921			17,850			13,707
Add:
Restructuring expense		232			304			1,200			871
Acquisition expense		354			-			1,085			-
Asset impairment		-			406			-			406
Recall expense		(368	)		1,742			(368	)		3,457
Impact of inventory fair value step-up		-			-			189			-
Impact of chassis shipments to Smeal		108			-			2,073			-
Adjusted EBITDA	$	12,894		$	7,373		$	22,029		$	18,441

Note 2 - Acquisition Activities (Details Textual) - USD ($)		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 01, 2017	Jan. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Business Combination, Inventory Fair Value Step-up					$ 189,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					28,903,000
Goodwill, Acquired During Period					11,528,000
Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.and PNC Bank [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity		$ 100,000,000
Smeal Acquisition [Member]
Business Combination, Inventory Fair Value Step-up			0		189,000
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred	$ 42,489,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	28,903,000
Cash Acquired from Acquisition	3,825,000
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Forgiveness of Liabilities	7,391,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High	2,400,000
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	11,528,000				1,666,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	2,370,000
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, Low	$ 0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Significant Inputs, Discount Rate	1.00%
Smeal Acquisition [Member] \| Selling, General and Administrative Expenses [Member]
Business Combination, Separately Recognized Transactions, Additional Disclosures, Acquisition Cost Expensed			$ 11,000	$ 159,000	$ 742,000	$ 159,000
Smeal Acquisition [Member] \| Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.and PNC Bank [Member] \| Line of Credit [Member]
Proceeds from Lines of Credit		$ 32,800,000

Note 2 - Acquisition Activities - Sales and Operating Income (Loss) Included in Results Since Acquisition (Details) - Smeal Acquisition [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017
Net sales	$ 26,408	$ 102,878
Operating income	$ 1,859	$ 850

Note 2 - Acquisition Activities - Smeal Acquisition Pro Forma Information (Details) - Smeal Acquisition [Member] - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Net sales	$ 189,215	$ 165,304	$ 526,029	$ 493,806
Net earnings attributable to Spartan Motors, Inc.	$ 13,589	$ 1,745	$ 16,310	$ 5,729
Diluted net earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.39	$ 0.05	$ 0.47	$ 0.17

Note 2 - Acquisition Activities - Smeal Purchase Price Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Jan. 01, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Goodwill	$ 27,489		$ 15,961
Smeal Acquisition [Member]
Cash		$ 3,825
Accounts receivable		6,523
Inventory		62,368
Other current assets		932
Property, plant and equipment		5,773
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		3,900
Goodwill		11,528
Total assets acquired		94,849
Accounts payable		3,935
Customer prepayments		42,929
Accrued warranty		3,689
Other liabilities		1,807
Total liabilities assumed		52,360
Total purchase price		$ 42,489

Note 3 - Inventories - Summary of Inventories (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Finished goods	$ 17,790	$ 12,743
Work in process	24,623	14,063
Raw materials and purchased components	55,620	35,458
Reserve for slow-moving inventory	(2,963)	(3,368)
Total inventory	$ 95,070	$ 58,896

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Jan. 01, 2017
Amortization of Intangible Assets	$ 214	$ 177	$ 643	$ 531
Unpatented Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life			10 years
Smeal Acquisition [Member]
Goodwill, Impairment Loss			$ 0
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill					$ 3,900

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Goodwill by Reportable Segment (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)
Balance at beginning of period	$ 15,961
Acquisition of Smeal	11,528
Reassignment of goodwill
Balance at end of period	27,489
Emergency Response Vehicles [Member]
Balance at beginning of period
Acquisition of Smeal	11,528
Reassignment of goodwill
Balance at end of period	11,528
Delivery and Service Vehicles [Member]
Balance at beginning of period	15,961
Acquisition of Smeal
Reassignment of goodwill	(638)
Balance at end of period	15,323
Specialty Chassis and Vehicles [Member]
Balance at beginning of period
Acquisition of Smeal
Reassignment of goodwill	638
Balance at end of period	$ 638

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Other Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	$ 5,878	$ 5,235
Net carrying amount, finite-lived	4,372
Gross carrying amount, intangible assets	15,520	11,620
Net carrying amount, intangible assets	9,642	6,385
Customer Relationships [Member]
Gross carrying amount, finite-lived	6,170	6,170
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	3,619	3,348
Net carrying amount, finite-lived	2,551	2,822
Acquired Product Development Project [Member]
Gross carrying amount, finite-lived	1,860	1,860
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	1,427	1,167
Net carrying amount, finite-lived	433	693
Unpatented Technology [Member]
Gross carrying amount, finite-lived	1,500
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	112
Net carrying amount, finite-lived	1,388
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Gross carrying amount, finite-lived	400	400
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	400	400
Net carrying amount, finite-lived
Order or Production Backlog [Member]
Gross carrying amount, finite-lived	320	320
Accumulated amortization, finite-lived	320	320
Net carrying amount, finite-lived
Trade Names [Member]
Gross carrying amount, indefinite-lived	$ 5,270	$ 2,870

Note 4 - Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Estimated Remaining Amortization Associated With Finite-lived Intangible Assets (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)
2017	$ 190
2018	816
2019	449
2020	423
2021	399
Thereafter	2,095
Total	$ 4,372

Note 5 - Debt (Details Textual) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

1 Months Ended

9 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2016

May 31, 2017

Jan. 31, 2017

Sep. 30, 2017

Dec. 31, 2016

Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity

^[1]

$ 22,800

45,500

73,600

Well Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

$ 100,000

Debt Instrument, Term

3 years

Line of Credit Facility, Potential Increase Borrowing Capacity

$ 35,000

Debt Instrument Reference Rate Term

30 days

Line of Credit Facility, Capacity Available for Trade Purchases

$ 0

$ 10,000

Well Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Smeal Acquisition [Member]

Proceeds from Lines of Credit

$ 32,800

Repayments of Lines of Credit

$ 10,000

Well Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Federal Funds Effective Swap Rate [Member]

Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate

0.50%

1.50%

Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End

2.75%

Well Fargo Bank and JPMorgan Chase Bank [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]

Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate

1.00%

[1]

On October 31, 2016, we entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the "Credit Agreement") by and among us, certain of our subsidiaries, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent ("Wells Fargo"), and the lenders party thereto consisting of Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and PNC Bank (the "Lenders"). Under the Credit Agreement, we may borrow up to $100,000 from the Lenders under a three-year unsecured revolving credit facility. We may also request an increase in the facility of up to $35,000 in the aggregate, subject to customary conditions. This line carries an interest rate of the higher of either (i) the highest of prime rate, the federal funds effective rate plus 0.5%, or the one month adjusted LIBOR plus 1.00%; or (ii) adjusted LIBOR plus margin based upon our ratio of debt to earnings from time to time. We had no borrowings on this line at December 31, 2016. In January 2017, we borrowed $32,800 from our credit line to fund our acquisition of Smeal, and repaid $10,000 of this borrowing in May 2017. GM and Chrysler have the ability to draw up to $10,000 against our line of credit in relation to chassis supplied to Spartan USA under chassis bailment inventory programs. The applicable borrowing rate including margin was 2.75% (or one-month LIBOR plus 1.50%) at September 30, 2017.

Note 5 - Debt - Schedule of Long-term Debt (Details) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Sep. 30, 2017

Dec. 31, 2016

Capital lease obligations

^[1]

$ 22,800

139

Total debt

22,889

139

Less current portion of long-term debt

(49)

(65)

Total long-term debt

$ 22,840

$ 74

[1]

Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References + Details

Note 6 - Restructuring (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Restructuring Charges	$ 232	$ 221	$ 1,044	$ 788
Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Charges		0		0
Operating Expense [Member]
Restructuring Charges		$ 304		$ 871

Note 6 - Restructuring - Restructuring Charges Included in Consolidated Statements of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold		$ 83	$ 156	$ 83
Restructuring Charges	232	221	1,044	788
Total restructuring	232	$ 304	1,200	$ 871
Accrual Of Severance [Member]
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold			156
Restructuring Charges	232		1,044
Emergency Response Vehicles [Member]
Total restructuring			410
Emergency Response Vehicles [Member] \| Accrual Of Severance [Member]
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold			43
Restructuring Charges			367
Delivery and Service Vehicles [Member]
Total restructuring	232		644
Delivery and Service Vehicles [Member] \| Accrual Of Severance [Member]
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold			97
Restructuring Charges	232		547
Specialty Chassis and Vehicles [Member]
Total restructuring			95
Specialty Chassis and Vehicles [Member] \| Accrual Of Severance [Member]
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold			16
Restructuring Charges			79
Other Segments [Member]
Total restructuring			51
Other Segments [Member] \| Accrual Of Severance [Member]
Restructuring charges, cost of products sold
Restructuring Charges			$ 51

Note 6 - Restructuring - Summary of Compensation Related Charges (Details) - Employee Severance [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
Balance, beginning of period	$ 227	$ 442
Accrual for severance	116	325	643
Payments and adjustments made in period	(250)	(540)	(201)
Balance, end of period	$ 93	$ 227	$ 442

Note 7 - Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Details Textual) - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

Sep. 30, 2017

Dec. 31, 2016

$ 906

$ 1,599

Letter of Credit [Member]

^[1]

22,800

Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity

20,000

Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | GM [Member]

Line of Credit Facility, Capacity Available for Trade Purchases

10,000

$ 144

$ 784

[1]