This Mercedes-Benz O321H Motorhome has a more interesting history than most, it was used as the official transport of the Swiss hockey team EHC Biel in the 1960s and 1970s.
After this it was converted into a motorhome by a later owner for long-distance touring, and it remains in this configuration today showing a retro interior layout with sleeping space for up to four.
Fast Facts – A Mercedes O321H Motorhome
- We covered this bus once before on Silodrome almost two years ago when it last came up for sale, and it became one of the most popular posts in its genre.
- This bus started out as the transport for a major Swiss hockey team before later being repurposed into a home on wheels.
- It now retains its retro period charm, and it has all the amenities you need for life on the road including a toilet, kitchenette, double bed, sitting area, sink, etc.
- It’s powered by a 5.7 liter diesel inline-six cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has seven seats, skylight windows, a portable A/C, and an eye-catching red and tan paint scheme.
The Mercedes-Benz O321H Bus
During its production run, which began in 1954, the Mercedes-Benz O321H became the single most mass-produced bus in the world up until that time in history with over 30,000 of them made.
This was the unveiling ceremony of the then-new Mercedes-Benz O321H bus in Mannheim, Germany on the 6th of December 1954. You can see the frame/floor assembly platform without its body in the center of the image. Photograph courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.
The O321H design was unique for Daimler-Benz at the time, as it was their first bus that used a frame/floor assembly rather than a standard chassis, with the body then welded to this frame-floor for added strength.
This design allowed a lower weight, more space of luggage underneath, and improved rigidity over previous busses, while also still being usable by companies that built custom bodies on Mercedes bus chassis.
The most common engine was the 5.1 litre diesel Mercedes-Benz 6-cylinder OHV OM 321 diesel, this naturally-aspirated engine proved incredibly reliable and it produced 110 bhp and 220 lb ft of torque. Later versions of this engine had increased displacement.
Power was sent to the rear wheels via a fully-synchronized 5-speed transmission, and depending on final gearing the bus could achieve fuel consumption figures of between 15.2 and 16 litres per 100 kilometers.
Inside the motorhome you’ll find sleeping for up to four people, a kitchenette, toilet, sink, and shelf space.
The bus would remain in production from 1954 until 1964, it’s one of the most recognizable bus designs from the era and it would have a significant influence on designs from other manufacturers. Surviving examples are now relatively rare, and they’re sought after by a similarly rare class of enthusiast.
The Mercedes-Benz O321H Motorhome Shown Here
The vehicle you see here has a fascinating history, as mentioned in the introduction it belonged to a top Swiss hockey team and was used as their transport bus around Europe in the 1960s and 1970s.
Later in its life a new owner converted it into a motorhome and it remains in this configuration today. It has a double bed in the rear of the bus and two couches that can be used as bedding to sleep up to four.
There’s also a toilet, a kitchenette with a sink, plenty of shelf space, and up front there is seating for seven when underway. Power is provided by a 5.7 liter naturally-aspirated diesel and power is sent to the dually rear axle by way of a 5-speed manual transmission.
If you’d like to read more about this unusual motorhome or register to bid you can visit the listing here on Bring a Trailer. It’s being offered for sale out of Wellsville, Colorado with 179,000 miles on the odometer and a clean Minnesota title in the seller’s name.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
