Cityrama thus bought a handful of Citroën 55s and delivered them to Currus, a local coachbuilder. The design plan called for a double-decker bus that would use as much glass as possible and look like nothing else on the road. And, indeed, the results were spectacular. As YouTube’s The Tim Traveler reported in a video posted in March (immediately below), the buses became an instant hit. They turned Cityrama into one of the biggest tourist companies in Paris and operated until the latter was decommissioned in the early 80s. However, with only a handful ever built, time has not been kind to these buses. Also read: Your classic 1937 party bus has arrived and it’s a national treasure He feared that all had been lost to the sands of time. Fortunately, however, the above video has responded and now the (supposedly) last 1956 Cityrama Currus Citroën 55 in existence has been found. It is in pretty rough shape with most of the glass missing, extensive rust throughout the body, and other issues. The good news, however, is that the engine is running and the bus has been removed from its secret storage location to be shown at a motor show in France (as well as the classic Le Mans weekend) this summer, attended by the Traveler host of Tim. The news gets even better than that, because not only was the channel able to take a tour of the bus, but they also spoke to the man who will be undertaking the restoration of this spectacular vehicle. Philippe Debasly of Normandy Classics says the restoration will involve completely tearing down the bus, sandblasting it and rebuilding any structures that were too rotted to save. The bodywork will then be serviced, the mechanicals will be rebuilt and the interior will be restored to order. In all, Debasly says the restoration process will take about four years and is being funded by the Association Normande d’Anciens Utilitaires, a group of classic vehicle enthusiasts with an emphasis on utility vehicles who now own the vehicle. If this story of rediscovery has inspired you, they would be more than happy to accept donations from enthusiasts around the world to help fund the restoration which looks set to be quite expensive.
