Cityrama Currus Citroen 55 Bus

In 1953, Paris tour company Groupe Cityrama commissioned a fleet of buses. Since tourism in Paris was highly competitive, the company decided to build distinctive attention-grabbing vehicles.

The unique double-decker glass-encased bodies (for maximum visibility) were built by the French coachbuilder Currus, on the chassis of Citroën Type 55 utility trucks with 4.6-litre gasoline or 5.2-litre diesel engines. The result was a sensational piece of French transport history.

Passengers wore headsets which broadcast commentary on the sights they passed in a variety of different languages.

Those on the upper deck could enjoy an open-air experience on fine days as a large section of the glass roof could be removed.

The coaches were extremely popular and appeared in a handful of French films, most famously in Zazie dans le Métro (1960). Unfortunately, they had a number of design flaws and a tendency to overheat, leading to the addition of second and third grilles, and eventually, an oil cooler.

The buses were retired from service in 1980. No more than 10 units of the Cityrama bus were built, and only one is known to have survived.