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Do You Want To Buy A Bus?

Back in 1959, General Motors introduced the GMC “New Look” model, and it was the mainstay of transit systems for years.

Here’s what the advertising for it looked like in 1963.

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46 thoughts on “Do You Want To Buy A Bus?”

  3. Thanks Steve about the update on the 1963 GM New Look Bus Advertisement. I was trying to find out what were the 40-improvements were? I think on the photo page, they mention the lighter weight of the engine compartment door, the redesign of the standee windows, the modification of the enginer air intake vent, just to name a few. It would be nice to know what the other ones were. Do you think that they would mention those on the other side of that advertisement sheet where the technical specifications are located? I can probably think of a few such as the master control knobs being chrome instead of the plastic coating, the driver’s visor is moveable and made of a cushioned material, instead of a stationary hard plastic. The push-type exit door is “air assisted”. Dome lamp power supply is over the driver instead of near the front door. Just curious of the rest.

    Steve: Yes, there is more detail on the other pages. I will have to scan them and add them to the post. Wait a few days, and it should be online.

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  4. Allow me to give a Montrealer’s view of the door issues and some background information on the saloon gate busses in service in Toronto.

    Those (now TTC) GMC Fishbowls (T6H series) with the saloon doors were purchased from the STCUM/MUCTC (Montreal) when the GMC/MCI/Nova Classic (T8H series) and the Nova LFS-1 / LFS-2 displaced them from the active roster in Montreal.

    According to other fleet roster web sites the vehicles the TTC purchased were numbered in the range 24-xxx and 25-xxx , which, I believe indicates that they entered STCUM service in 1983 and 1984 respectively.

    The “Mackay Gate” was a feature on busses operated by many Canadian transit systems, including Montreal and Winnipeg – starting in the 1950’s until the 1980’s.

    Montreal purchases of busses from Brill (Canadian Car and Foundry), Mack, Fageol-Twin, GMC TDH series, “Old Look” and “New Look”, and Western Flyer, excepting the 50 Canadair built Flixible in Montreal service were, almost entirely, fitted with this feature.

    Gates last appeared on the first three years of Montreal purchases of the Classic series in the late 80’s. Subsequent purchases of the Classic were equiped with treadle mats.

    I Trust this information will be useful.

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  5. Here’s a question my brother and I have been wondering about for some time. On the first generation GM Newlook Fishbowls, the rear exit door had two metallic-looking fabric pieces that were mounted on the top, inside of door panels and connected to the coach body. (4-inches by 6-inches). The only thing I can think of is that it was to keep hands away from the hinges to prevent injury but, these fabric materials were not used after the first generation coaches changed to 2nd generation.

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  6. I sure like the GMC New Look bus. Sure better than the ones they have on the streets. They were simply designed and so reliable. I wish this was still in production,

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