SOLVED: si_478 - Somua - OP 5.2 - prototype from 1953

[sichel]

Needs some work.
But who? Please name manufacturer, type and year of manufacture.

[sichel]

Up to the Experts.

[Roman1986]

Somua OP5/3'1955

[knewit]

French ?

[sichel]

Somua OP5/3'1955

Yes, it is a Somua, but it is somewhat older and the type designation is therefore also different. Locked for you.

[sichel]

French ?

Yes, but you were a little late.

[Roman1986]

Somua OP5/3S2B3'1956?

[sichel]

Sorry, but it is older!

[Roman1986]

Somua OP5/2'1950?

[sichel]

Yes, it is a OP 5.2, but the puzzle bus was built a little bit later.

[Roman1986]

1951?

[sichel]

No, a little later. We could now shimmy year by year to 1953 or consider the riddle solved right away. I like the second solution better.
It is a Somua OP 5/2 from 1953, in 2016 it was waiting for restoration in a museum in Alsace. However, I don't know what happened to it.
And that's your next point.

[sichel]

Colleague Hiawartha pointed out an inconsistency to me. The bus pictured has three doors and is therefore an OP 5/3. In my source, either the year of construction or the type designation is incorrect. I am changing the title of the puzzle.
Thank you for the hint.

[Wendax]

According to Dimitri Van Boque's book "L'Autobus Parisien 1905-1991" three OP5 (i. e. OP 5.2) buses (# 654,655,800) were equipped with the 120 hp engine of the future OP 5.3 and one of them already had the middle door. Might be that just this very bus ended up in Betschdorf.

[sichel]

Thanks for the info. Then I'll leave it at that.

[Hiawatha]

The bus Is the Museum Is Number 800.
So It Is one  of the there prototypes.
So, OP5/2

[sichel]

Thank you for the tip, it is in line with the tip from wendax. I will adjust the title accordingly.