 | | | Mercedes-Benz O 303: the world record-holder |
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The 1974 Paris Motor Show provided a fitting backdrop for the presentation of the new Mercedes-Benz O 303 coach. Stylistically, the O 303 echoed the lines of its predecessor but in a modernised form. Its high standards of engineering and an incredible variety of different versions were further hallmarks. The O 303 was available in seven different lengths and various heights, and offered a choice of specification levels and door options. In 1979, a top-class luxury version was introduced, the O 303 RHD long-distance high-decker.
Underneath the exterior, the engineering was a mix of the new and the tried-and-trusted. For example at the front a rigid axle continued to be used. The rear-mounted V6, V8 and V10 engines were from a new V-engine range, and delivered outputs between 141 and 235 kW (192 hp to 320 hp). Also invisible from the outside was the built-in safety with integrated roll-over bars and energy-absorbing front and rear crumple zones.
With ongoing refinements and modernisation, the O 303 remained permanently fresh and up-to-date. Modifications included an undivided front windscreen, a radical facelift in 1982, a new instrument panel, powerful turbodiesel engines developing up to 269 kW (354 hp) and the electronic power shift (EPS) with joystick. From 1981 the anti-lock braking system, and later on acceleration skid control, were added, while new models and new equipment versions continued to provide fresh inspiration.
It is therefore hardly surprising that the O 303 set a whole string of records. It remained in production for almost twenty years, until 1992, and topped the production records set by the O 321 H and O 302 by a considerable margin. Some 38,000 units were built at Daimler-Benz, including chassis versions for body manufacturers, during the course of a long career - a world record figure which remains unbroken to this day.
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