Mercedes-Benz O 407

Mercedes Benz
O 407
Manufacturer	Daimler-Benz EvoBus
design type	Intercity bus
Production period	1987-2001
axes	2
engine	Mercedes-Benz OM 447 h ; 6 cylinders, in-line
power	240/250/299 hp
length	11.92 m
width	2.5 m
height	3,058 m
Perm. total weight	16,000 kg
Previous model	O 307
successor	Conecto ; Citaro Ü
Similar models	MAN SÜ 242 ; Setra S 215 UL ; O 408

The last Mercedes-Benz Ü80 (prototype of the O 407) in operation in Germany (of five units previously built) (as of July 2011)

The Mercedes-Benz O 407 is the intercity bus variant of the VÖV-II bus from Daimler-Benz and was built from 1987 to 2001 based on the prototype Ü 80 built at the vehicle workshops in Falkenried (FFG) .

Compared to the city ​​bus variant , the Mercedes-Benz O 405 , the O 407 has a total length of 11.9 meters (11.5 m for the O 405) and a higher car floor in the passenger compartment to accommodate the optionally available trunk.

From the outside, the standard version of the O 407 can be recognized by the narrow front entry with a single-leaf swinging door and the rear, double-leaf swinging door, in addition to the larger dimensions. Also noticeable is the larger, one-piece windscreen with the narrow, single-line destination display and the side air inlets, which were later installed in the O 405 on request; But vehicles with split windshields were also made. The wide, two-line destination display from the O 405 could also be ordered as an option, just like the O 405 with the single-line destination display from the O 407.

The O 407 was manufactured exclusively as a solo high-floor vehicle. There were no articulated or low-floor versions of the O 407, these were all based on the O-405 series due to their dimensions (body length, wheelbase and floor height). A large number of articulated buses for the regional bus companies of the Deutsche Bahn were often only delivered with the single-line destination display of the O 407, but this was the O 405 G because, in addition to the same vehicle dimensions, they also had the city bus double swing doors for two-lane handling. This also applied to a small series of articulated buses that only had the simple outer swing door of the O 407 and the lettering "O 407 G" that was sometimes applied later. The entrance, narrowed by the single-leaf front door, had the steps of the earlier two-lane check-in that were turned towards the center aisle, and floor heights and window dividers of the O-405 series also corresponded. The type designation O 407 or O 407 G - the G was not included in all vehicles in this series - was due to the fact that the glass door leaf of the entrance door was actually taken from the O-407 series as a single component, which usually had the corresponding, prefabricated lettering " O 407 ”. The "G" was only applied afterwards and off-center on some vehicles. These vehicles were designed and approved - differing from the external type lettering - but as O 405 G.

The situation is similar with a vehicle named “O 407 N”, which is a structurally unchanged O 405 N with a subsequently changed type plate. The only difference between the urban and intercity versions is the longer vehicle length (wheelbase) and the higher floor in intercity buses. The low-floor intercity bus developed later also bore the designation O 405 NÜ. Different fronts, arrangement of doors or passenger seats could also be combined with one another in the previous O 305 / O 307 models.

The vehicles were offered with diesel engines of 240 hp, from 1989 also with 250 and 299 hp. A manual 5-speed gearbox of type G O 4 / 95-5 / 5.1 was installed as standard. A 6-speed synchromesh gearbox G O 4 / 105-6 / 7.2 or a Daimler-Benz automatic transmission with four gears (W 4 A 110) was available at an additional cost, later a ZF  5 HP 500 with five gears was available.

Like the O 405, the O 407 could also be equipped with air conditioning and a retarder brake. As with the O 405, three seating variants were offered at the factory, which had a plastic bucket seat as a basis, which in three comfort levels (K1-K3) could either not be ordered at all, with thinly padded seat and backrest covers or full upholstery. Velor was usually used for the latter. For the O 407, the more comfortable cushion upholstery was mostly chosen due to the longer average travel times compared to regular city traffic. The so-called high-strength seating from the O 408 was also offered in the later model series. In addition, the seating could also be ordered from third-party providers. The passenger seats could optionally be mounted on platforms in the passenger compartment; for occasional traffic, in addition to trunk compartments, two additional, removable double seats were available on the stroller space opposite the rear door in order to be able to fully seat the bus. The O 407 then had 53 seats (otherwise 49 on scheduled services). The O 407 had luggage racks above the seats under the roof, which could also be ordered for the O 405.

In 1992 the O 407 received its first, small model upgrade. The doors were now glazed to the floor, the interior was now kept in a gray instead of light brown color. In the course of this, the larger roof hatches that could be used as emergency exits were also installed.

In the meantime, the O 407 can mostly only be found in private companies in the school bus or amplifier traffic, which had often taken over from regional transport companies. These vehicles are only rarely used in regular scheduled services because the tenders for transport services often require a limited maximum age or accessibility of the vehicles as an award condition. Due to their robustness and the still conventional technology, the O 407 are coveted vehicles for export.

Excursion version O 408

Mercedes-Benz O 408 in regular service

In order to close the gap between purely scheduled buses and coaches, in 1989 Daimler-Benz presented the Mercedes-Benz O 408 as a combi-bus that can be used for both regular and excursion services. In terms of technology and dimensions, this vehicle largely corresponded to the original O 407; The main difference between the O 408 was the curved and undivided windshield and the side windows reaching to the roof edge with interior target sign boxes all around. The driver's seat with the VÖV cockpit and optional payment table corresponded to the line version of the O 407, but luggage compartments, (rigid) seats with high backrests, curtains and luggage racks in the passenger compartment also made the O 408 suitable for excursions. The O 408 had the same range of engines and transmissions as its basic O 407 model. In 1996 the O 408 was replaced by the O 550 "Integro" , but production of the O 408 was not stopped until 1998.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. busforum.org - Discussion on the O 407 G 
2. ↑ http://www.busforum-sh.de/t2553f40-O-Typen.html busforum-sh.de
3. ↑ http://busse.startbilder.de/bild/_Sichtung_~2010~KW+23/77136/ Zwischen-den-parkplaetzen-und-dem-ila- ausstellunggelaende.html

Web links

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