1958 Mercedes Benz 319 Fensterbus
Samba’s Daddy: 1958 Mercedes Benz 319 Fensterbus
This 1958 Mercedes Benz 319 is the roof window “Fensterbus” model of the 319 style truck. This one has been restored and is a RHD example that was originally shipped to Australia. It was imported to Germany in February 2011 and would be an amazing Vehicle to tour through Europe. Find it here on eBay.de in Freiburg, Germany for 39,999 Euros. Special thanks to BaT reader Keith W. for this submission!
We have never seen another of these as a RHD model, as most were for the home market. The interior needs a major logo purge, but the factory wheel and speedometer are very cool. The column shifter is on the left, and a vintage Becker or Blaupunkt stereo could be swapped in with a stealth iPod connector for better sound options and looks.
There are plenty of windows in the body already, but the additional roof windows make it look like everything above the high belt-line is glass. The red stripe does a good job of breaking up the white monotony, and the roof rack works well.
The interior is a little too street-rod looking, so we’d kill all the logos and source some red MB-Tex for the seats and benches. Notice the sliding fabric covers for the roof windows and the green driver sun shade.
This is a cool looking rig that would garner more attention going down the road that almost any other van. With the aesthetic details sorted, it would come time to see if the gasoline 4-cylinder was really enough to make it useful. If not, we suspect that a creative modern diesel swap would make it a very interesting vehicle to drive.
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I would like to see a camper version though!
It is not as pretty though, too many small windows.
AND NO it does not have 319 windows (from the german title). More below.
Also Mercedes built (to this day) FULL size buses for public transportation or for long distance travel.
They are incredible agile and have a turn circle most compact cars could just dream of (30 ! feet).
Most guys there had VW buses and we had this huge Mercedes Bus with twice the room and double the gas mileage(35 ! miles per gallon of diesel) . I cannot believe we never took any photos.
We ended up selling it and to this day I regret that. It still had some of the original seating with the fold down emergency seats.
Production numbers are not too clear, but it’s estimated about 10,000 buses were built and a very small percentage was actually the “Panorama Bus” version.
Well, if interested please log into my blog that I am starting and comment briefly with your e-mail address.
6point3@gmail.com
While somebody restored it in Australia, it is not as good a restoration as one would hope.
I think you’re in the wrong place for “practical”.
Practical ? who needs practical, that’s by far N O T what this site is all about , I think.
I didn’t remember the interior shot since I looked at it several months ago.
But I have seen it before.
Tons of money, no expenses spared into a restoration for an owner (and his own interest and ego) who’s willing to ‘let it go’ at the end of the journey.
It might have been on the ‘Beauty Pageant Circuit’ in Oz, too bad it wasn’t kept over there.
Instead the ‘new’ owner is probably deep upside down into it (serious shipping, customs and tax expenses !) and has no purpose for it from what it seems.
If it had the seats still, it would be an awesome City tour bus…..
This one, unfortunately, more expensive than most people could enjoy.
But on the same token, somehow the Germans seem to be able to tune , adjust or build their diesel engines better than what I ‘ve seen in the US !
From what I remember, somebody fit in a newer 200 , maybe even 220 or 240 d -motor into it. These fit (4cylinders) with some modification to the intake and exhaust, fuel filter bracket and other things (IIRC). So it did have some get up and go. Once you learn it’s limitations it can move rather swiftly, which is a necessity in European traffic. Regrettably this shortcoming was the reason for it’s ultimate near demise, but that’s a whole other story.
BTW, Same goes for the Ponton Sedans !!
I seem to recall a story of a family traveling the world in a early 1900s grand tourer. They’d packed up a bunch of their stuff and they were roaming the world in this huge old car.
I’d be tempted to buy this, put my entire house in it (bet it would fit too) and go EVERYWHERE.
oohh, wait, Mercedes offered that to those customers that did not cut corners in the wrong places on their vehicle orders / options.
Some people would really learn and see how to judge the cars (and sellers for that matter) in a whole different light.
Anyway, it ran out just before you looked, no takers .
Neither was too exciting anyway…..
Seller says he found it in a castle in central France…….whoooooheeee !
Ralf
I could also bet, that this buyer was uneducated in this regard bought this for too much, spent a fortune shipping it and legalizing it in Germany and now is so far in the hole he has to sell. It borders a lot on naivety. There was another (two tone green, you’d like that given your name…) 319 (authentic) Panorama bus for sale recently in the neighborhood of 80,000 euros.
And lastly: On your site: you’re probably right about your theory in the luxury bus demise.
I happen to own one of those, with all the seats still present, but in the sorriest state you can imagine. I had an opportunity to buy extra seats and did not grab them. I did not realize the rarity.
there are many more than 5!
here is one from BAT last year http://bringatrailer.com/2012/02/20/sambas-daddy-1958-mercedes-benz-319-fensterbus/
I have one of their buses, maybe THE BUS YOU WERE DRIVING THEN. I’d love some back ground/history on it….
E-mail me , I am in North L A county.
Alex 300parts@gmail.com
Maybe 5 RHD trucks delivered to the ‘coachbuilder’ who converted that van in AU ?