This might be a European thing but I've always thought that buses and trucks were very cool. There are many fan communities of classic oldtimer buses in Europe and many of them focus on the really popular ones, like the Mercedes-Benz O 321, which literally defined traveling in the mid 1950s and 1960s.



The O 321 featured many novelties. It was the worlds first bus with unitary body construction and the second bus with the engine placed in the rear (the Mercedes O 6600 H of 1951 was the worlds first bus with a rear engine). This design allowed the engineers to design a bus with good handling and braking qualities. The O 321 was also relatively "light" for a midsize bus. Research and initial designs began in the early 1950s but it wasn't until 1954 that the O 321 was ready. The cockpit was designed with ergonomics and simplicity in mind, much like many Mercedes sedans of the period.

Throughout much of its production span in Mannheim, it was powered by a 5.1-l 6-cylinder inline diesel engine with antechamber design and 110-horsepower. Later, a 5.7-l 6-cylinder diesel with 127-horsepower was offered. The bus was a good allround vehicle being employed in the roadtravel business and citybus role.

The O 321 was a sales success. By 1964 over 30,000 had been sold, 1/3rd of them overseas with the bus being very popular in the Middle East, Africa and South America.

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