| Status | Retired |
|---|---|
| Quantity | 20 |
| Numbers | 7000-7019 |
| Delivery | 1979 |
| Manufacture | MAN |
|---|---|
| Model | Articulated |
| Propulsion | Diesel |
| Length | 55' |
| Width | 102" |
| Dest. Signs | Roll Sign |
| Amenities |
In 1979, the CTA purchased its first order of 20 55-foot long articulated buses from Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg-Nurenburg (M.A.N.) of Munich, Germany. Prior to the order, the CTA had tested a MAN Articulated bus as part of the FTA’s Superbus project.
While the 7000-series was similar to the test bus, it included only two doors instead of three and featured a wider destination sign area.
The buses were built in Germany, although the interior finish was applied in America by AM General. The following order of 125 additional articulated buses would be produced in MAN’s American plant near Charlotte, North Carolina.
The buses were painted in the CTA’s two-toned green scheme, although bus #7013 was eventually repainted in a trial scheme that had been adopted for rail cars. It featured platinum and charcoal colors with a red, white, and blue accent strip.
The 7000-series was retired in 1994.