A flagship for the SetraClassics

Comunicato Stampa disponibile solo in lingua originale. 

Apr 22, 2022, Stuttgart

• The historic S 328 DT takes its place in the #setra Classic Collection
• The double-decker #bus of the 300 series was on the road for the Swiss company K. Dysli AG for 18 years
• Setra double-decker buses – four successful generations

Stuttgart. A historic #setra double-decker #bus from the 300 model series supplements the #setraclassicclassiccollection in #neuulm. The S 328 DT was handed over to EvoBus GmbH at the Retro Classics Exhibition in #stuttgart. The gray metallic painted three-axle vehicle was used for travel and rental by K. Dysli AG in Bern from 2003 to 2021 – covering around half a million kilometers.

The lower deck of the S 328 DT features an on-board kitchenette with a sausage cooker, hot water boiler, a microwave and a toilet. Passengers could make themselves comfortable here on their journeys around Europe at four club tables. The 72 fabric seats have integrated leather headrests. The furthest destination was Portugal. For the Dysli family, the handover is a very special moment: “We are delighted that our S 328 DT will have a place at the #setra Classic Collection for the duration of its now eternal lifetime, amidst the brand's other exclusive classics.”  

S 328 DT with its striking swingarm

The double-decker buses of the #setra 300 model series were presented to the public for the first time at the “Car & Bus” #bus show in Kortrijk, Belgium, in October 1993. The striking swingarm and the equally striking outside mirrors of the S 328 DT are the typical exterior features of the second-generation of double-decker buses, which had been seamlessly integrated into the 300 model series presented in 1991 with their clear design. Basic dimensions: 12 m long, 2.5 m wide and 4 m high. The headroom in the lower passenger compartment was 1.8 m while on the upper deck it was 1.68 m. The turning circle was 20.48 m. A total of 780 units of the S 328 DT were built.

The #setra double-decker #bus success story

The predecessor of the S 328 DT was the #setra S 228 DT presented in 1981 – this was the brand’s first double-decker #bus. The “D” in the type designation stood for double-decker, while the “T” stood for tourism.  With a length of 12 m, a width of 2.5 m, a height of 4.0 m and a permissible gross vehicle weight of 22 t, the double-decker #bus consistently flirted with the limits of the legislation of the time.

Despite the tight restrictions on both comfort features and passenger seats, it set standards for comfort and safety with, among other things, electronic control of the air conditioning and an anti-lock braking system. In the years that followed, #setra developed numerous customer-specific solutions for lounge and bistro variants. The premiere vehicle of 1981 was followed by around 50 units in the first year of production. By 1993, the brand’s first double-decker #bus had reached a remarkable total of exactly 1,104 units.

The S 328 DT of the 300 model series described above was replaced by the S 431 DT, which completed the TopClass 400 in 2001, i.e. only one year after its presentation. The #bus uses the expanded measurement specifications within the EU in the interests of a completely new concept: With an unchanged height of exactly 4.0 m, it is now 13.89 m long and 2.55 m wide. This means four more passenger seats and a large luggage compartment, enhanced by several stowage compartments below the floor within the lower deck.

The S 431 DT's ambience was crowned by an optional glass roof, with the upper deck becoming a light-flooded viewing area. The swingarm was replaced by the “La Linea” aluminum bar, which lent the mighty touring #bus even more elegance.

Five years after the premiere of the third-generation double-decker #bus, 500 units were already in operation. However, its career really got going after that, with the #setra double-decker #bus benefiting greatly from the approval of long-distance #bus routes in Germany from 2013, among other things. A total of around 2 300 #setra TopClass S 431 DT have left the plant in #neuulm.

The current #setra flagship: the S 531 DT

For five years, the S 531 DT of the TopClass 500 has been the fourth generation of #setra double-decker buses on the roads of Europe. Maximum efficiency and variability, maximum comfort, and maximum safety: The touring #bus is once again setting the trend in its class with its top aerodynamic values. Thanks to its flexible lower deck it caters for all uses for touring and regular-service transport. As another safety feature, The Active Brake Assist 4 and Sideguard Assist assistance systems are celebrating their world premiere in the S 531 DT.

Classic #bus history at Kässbohrer Halle 

The S 328 DT from Dysli AG will be on display as part of the #setra Classic Collection in the Kässbohrer Halle, in the immediate vicinity of the modern #bus production facility in #neuulm. Among other things, the first #bus with a self-supporting body produced by the Ulm-based company Kässbohrer will be here to be admired exclusively by customers. The S 8 with chassis number 50001 heralded the success story of the #setra brand.

Among the former customer-carrying vehicles, which have been restored faithfully in the finest of details and which are completely roadworthy, is also an S 210 HD. Manufactured in 1988, the #bus of the 200 model series was used by the Turkish #bus company Varan for transferring VIPs. There is also an S 315 HDH from the 300 model series on display. The 1996 vehicle, which was built by the Swiss #bus operator #reneheiniger, was equipped with a wide-angle front and rear-view camera as well as a ring circuit for hearing-impaired travelers.