Man tracks down the world’s ‘rarest’ bus which is a five-year restoration project
- The Citroën U55 Cityrama is the world’s rarest bus
- The 1950s double-decker bus showed tourists the sights of Paris
- It is now part of a five-year restoration
Published on Jan 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 17, 2025 at 8:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Looking like a cross between a submarine and The Jetsons family car, the Citroën U55 Cityrama is the world’s rarest bus and is now part of an epic restoration.
The 1950s double-decker bus was created to show tourists the sights and sciences of Paris, France.
Only three were ever created, and this is the only surviving example.
Now, after decades of disrepair, it is being restored to hit the streets of the French capital again.
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Rarest bus in world: Citroën U55 Cityrama
The Eiffel-Tower-esque bus was built in the 1950s by French coachbuilder, Currus, in collaboration with Citroën.
The ‘weird’ vehicle was based on the Citroën 55 truck chassis but its body was completely custom-built for its unique purpose.
It offered lucky tourists unparalleled views of Paris as an exciting yet practical alternative to traditional tour buses.
The resulting design was heavily inspired by mid-century futurism, with a bubble-like glass roof, panoramic windows, and sleek curves.
Its unique design made it the rarest bus in the world.
The restoration project
Two years into its crowdfunded restoration, the Cityrama Paris sightseeing bus is currently in 100 pieces per travel content creator, Tim Dunn.
“The vehicle has been completely stripped down so that each individual part can be restored, replaced, repainted, whatever needs to be done,” Dunn explained.
The painstaking work involves extensive work on the engine, chassis, and body.
Its unique curved glass panels have proven to be a particular challenge.
They require specialized molds and techniques that no longer are in use plus, with no other existing models, there are no parts to model it on.
“The dream is that in 3 or 4 years’ time you will be able to come to France and ride around in a beautifully restored, beautifully bonkers bus,” Dunn shared.
Paris was set to have a fleet of flying taxis in time for last year’s Olympics before plans were scrapped.
However, Dubai looks sweet to make that dream happen with eVTOL aircraft taxis this year.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
