The Day Thread has a New Look

I almost forgot that I signed up to do the day thread today, so here’s a quick look at one of my favourite buses, the GMC New Look. Introduced in 1959 and produced until 1986, the GMC New Look was one of the most iconic transit vehicles of the 20th century, with close to 45,000 entering service across North America. The buses were nicknamed the “Fishbowl,” due to their distinctive rounded windshield.

 Known for their toughness and durability, many New Look buses remained in service well into the 21st century, and likely would have stuck around even longer if their lack of accessibility features hadn’t begun forcing their replacement. The buses required climbing a set of stairs to board, and the interiors were usually tightly packed with seats that either had far too much traction (hot weather) or nowhere near enough (cold weather).

Though you’re probably not going to see them on the road anymore these days, these venerable old beasts were once the backbone of public transportation in North America, and ferried millions of people every day in cities both large and small.