The German automobile giant Mercedes has long been engaged in the manufacture of not only luxury expensive cars, but also the production of buses. For long journeys, buses need comfort and reliability, and it is these qualities that are inherent in the Mercedes company. Mercedes has been able to set the bar for progress not only for cars, but also for trucks since the 40s of the last century.

The first Mercedes bus was produced in Argentina immediately after the Second World War. At that time, the company was actively engaged in the production of trucks, so the first trip brainchild was a modernized truck for a large number of passengers.

The first full-fledged Mercedes bus: the O 321H series. It was not created for a specific purpose, it was multifunctional. It was used both in tourism and in regular urban transportation. Common color of the model: red with white. The series was a great success and sold 10,000 copies. It was O321N that became the starting line from which all models produced in the future went.

After a few years, the company decided to create a version suitable for a specific purpose: regular passenger transport. The bus was named: О 317. To improve handling, the motor in О 317 was located in the middle between the axles.

The innovative O302 replaced 0 321. This series was developed in 1965 and just turned the game in the bus industry. Already at that time there was a version of this model with an electric motor. It was with this white model that individual air supply for each passenger and air conditioning began to be applied.

Two years later, in 1960, Mercedes released a compact version of the 0 322 bus. Despite its compactness, the vehicle was designed for 32 sitting and 49 standing places. The engine, with a volume of 5 liters, produced 110 horsepower and a low fuel consumption of 25 liters, which at that time was an excellent indicator, but the progress did not end there.

It was with this model that the company began to make new types of suspension: pneumatic without leaf springs. This design greatly increased comfort.

The O 305 became a new chapter in the history of the German bus manufacturing company. The single series received the O305 index, the articulated series - O305G, the suburban - O307. The O305 had 49 seats and 120 standing ones. In this series, there were two tanks: the first for fuel, the second for heating the diesel unit and the passenger compartment in winter. The 11-liter engine was combined with an automatic transmission, innovative at that time, in which there were three steps. In order to lighten weight and save Mercedes

from rust in the future, the body of the O 305 was made of aluminum. The model turned out to be so successful that it was produced for 20 years.

And now history reached the 1980s, when the O 305, no matter how good it was, was simply outdated and its technical characteristics had irrelevant indicators. And now it was replaced by 0 405, which was also produced for 20 years. For people in need of savings, natural gas versions have been developed. Starting with this model, turbocharged engines began to be installed on Mercedes bus engines, however, there were versions without them

The company is engaged in the production of all types of these vehicles:

Minibuses

For urban transport

Intercity

Tourist

Consider the most prominent representatives of each class. Model range of Mercedes buses:

Sprinter

The model had a huge number of variations. This body was used as a route taxi for 20 seats, for cargo transportation, ambulance, etc. There were even four-wheel drive versions for tough conditions. Because of this versatility, the Sprinter has sold out in huge numbers.

Conecto

The version for urban transport cost 245 thousand euros, but this was a profitable investment, since the car has a huge resource. Even in 2014, a huge batch of these vehicles was delivered to Russia.

Travego

The model has won its success thanks to the maximum comfort not only for passengers, but also for the driver himself. The eight-cylinder diesel engine had a capacity of 475 horsepower and, due to its reliability, is installed even in some domestic buses.

Mercedes have a rich history in the bus industry and have made a great contribution to this industry. Thanks to German quality, you can still find old Mercedes buses from the 1980s, which traveled three times a million kilometers. It is thanks to this quality that people are ready to pay big money for these Mercedes. In order not to make their models too expensive, the company decided not to invest large sums in design (as can be seen from the photos of the models) and this is logical: for a bus, such quality as design is the last on the list of priorities.