German version

Mercedes-Benz articulated country bus O 317 G

It was launched at the 1957 Frankfurt International Motor Show as the first Mercedes-Benz bus with underfloor engine – and the first German bus with air suspension all round. The O 317 had primarily been designed for urban and country service and became extremely popular among drivers and passengers alike on account of its high level of comfort.

Could anyone pay a bus a greater compliment than establishing that it reliably enthuses its users even at an advanced age? This applies to the O 317 G articulated country bus in two respects: the series had been on the market for 17 years already when the Stuttgart local transport company (SSB) put this articulated country bus into operation in 1974. At that point in time, the successor to the O 317 had already been in production for six years: the O 305, the first standard regular service bus designed by Mercedes-Benz.

In spite of this, the SSB remained faithful to the O 317. The O 317 G put into operation in 1974 formed part of a major batch of 25 buses from this series, which were supplied in 1974 and 1975. Overall, some 100 articulated buses from the O 317 family joined the SSB fleet between 1960 and 1976. The different versions clearly reflect the technical progress achieved during this period. While the first articulated buses still had four doors and a double-axle trailing section resembling present-day tandem trailers; the vehicles supplied last already boasted technical refinements such as automatic transmission.