Setra has delivered its 90,000th bus since the brand was established in 1951. The S 416 HDH, a new generation TopClass 400 touring coach, was handed over to bus company Arnold Reisen in Dietmannsried, near Kempten in the German Allgäu region, at the end of February 2007. It was also the 30,000th vehicle to be built since the establishment of the EvoBus GmbH company, under whose management Setra touring coaches and rural regular-service buses have been developed, produced and sold since 1995. EvoBus is a wholly owned subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG.
Setra brand spokesman and EvoBus Managing Director Werner Staib commented: "We are delighted to be handing over this landmark vehicle to a customer who has been committed exclusively to Setra for more than 30 years now. This ceremony also offers further encouragement to all the staff behind our brand to continue building vehicles of the very highest standard for discerning bus companies." The anniversary vehicle, in its egyptian gold-coloured paintwork, is equipped, amongst other things, with comfortable Ambiente seating, a glass roof over the central aisle, and a sophisticated audio and video system with an iPod interface and a DVD changer. The amount of space between the seats corresponds to five-star classification.
Arnold Reisen: Setra partner for more than 30 years
The timing for the handover of this special coach could not have been more opportune, for the German company Arnold is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Since the mid-1970s this family company has bought only Setra buses, with the result that all 19 vehicles on its current fleet bear the logo of the Ulm-based company's premium brand. One of the determining factors in this relationship was Setra's ability to supply vehicles of a very high technical standard. Arnold Reisen was, for example, the first company to operate S 415 HDH TopClass 400 touring coaches with proximity control.
Setra buses have been built since 1951
The success story of Setra began in 1951, when Otto Kassbohrer introduced the S 8, the first series-production bus with a unitised body design. Just four years later, the 1,000th vehicle was delivered to its owner, while 2001, when the brand celebrated its 50th anniversary, saw the 75,000th Setra bus leave the production line.
Via: DaimlerChrysler Press-release