December 6, 1954
A different type of motor coach bus first rolled off the Mercedes-Benz assembly line in city of Mannheim in what was then West Germany. The 30-foot (9.1-meter)-long 0321H, which was equipped with nine rows of seats and could accommodate up to 37 passengers, made its debut nearly six decades after automotive pioneer Karl Benz — who helped establish Mercedes-Benz — had built the world’s first motorized bus there in Mannheim.
The 0321H set new standards for the form and function of buses across the globe. The vehicle’s sturdy unibody shell, which brought together a high-strength steel frame and a welded steel body as a single unit, gave the 0321H unprecedented stability and comparatively lower weight for a vehicle that size. This unconventional design marked a significant departure from traditional chassis construction and helped remove once and for all many of the longstanding similarities between buses and trucks.
The streamlined method for assembling the 0321H also resulted in larger-than-average space on board the bus for passengers’ luggage. The 0321H was also the first bus to have coil springs in the front-axle suspension, making possible a considerably smoother ride. In addition, the 0321H contained state-of-the-art heating and airflow systems that had already been introduced on an earlier Mercedes-Benz bus.
The style, comfort, and technical advances of the 0321H quickly made it a popular bus for many drivers, passengers, and dealers throughout the world. (The above photo of this type of bus was taken in 1957.)
In the years following the inaugural 0321H, the bus not only grew in size but also underwent additional upgrades which further expanded its appeal. These innovations included a larger curved front windshield that gave drivers and passengers alike increased visibility; and a higher roof in the mid-section to improve standing room inside the vehicle. The 0321H was one of the most sought-after buses of its time, with approximately 30,000 models sold before production of the vehicle came to an end in 1970.
Photo Credit: German Federal Archives (licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en
For more information on the Mercedes-Benz 0321H motor coach bus, please check out https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/The-world-champion-bus-in-the-guise-of-the-O-321-H.xhtml?oid=9361494
A video featuring this bus is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Ug6QEG_2s
Transportation History 
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