Washington's Dream Bus Cost Almost Twice as Much. No One Built It

The fishbowl bus defined city transit for decades. Why did this design outlive its successors for so long? Subscribe to Full Chrome and tell us if you remember riding one of these glass-faced buses in your hometown. We explore the history of the General Motors New Look bus, a vehicle that became an icon of urban transportation. From its unique panoramic windshield to its durable engineering, we examine why this design remained a staple on city streets for over 27 years. Discover the story behind the 44,000 units produced and the factors that eventually led to their retirement. 0:00 A Bus With a Glass Face 1:11 From Submarine to Greenhouse 2:17 Built Like an Airliner 3:35 The Two-Stroke Heart 5:07 An Automatic Built for Stop and Go 6:09 Forty-Four Thousand Buses 6:39 Hard Work Behind the Glass 7:56 Washington's Transbus 9:35 Rebuilt Instead of Replaced 11:00 What Finally Retired the Fishbowl Sources: – Wikipedia - GM New Look bus – Curbside Classic - Bus Stop Classic: GMC TDH-4523 New Look Transit – Wikipedia - Retired MTA Regional Bus Operations bus fleet – Internet Archive - City Bus Driver (Encyclopaedia Britannica Films) – Wikipedia - Transbus Program