Number 47 | Issue 1/11 - Setra

Number 47 | Issue 1/11 

www.setra.de 

Magazine for customers and friends of the Setra brand 

Family 

Imprint 

Publisher: 

EvoBus GmbH 

Setra Omnibusse 

Carl-Zeiss-Straße 2 

89231 Neu-Ulm 

Germany 

Tel. +49 (0)731 181-0 

Fax +49 (0)731 181-2418 

www.setra.de 

Responsible for magazine content: 

Michaela Schneider, 

Manager Marketing Communication Setra 

The following people worked on this issue: 

Christine Denzel, BUS/MPM-S 

Bernd Goy, BUS/MSP-5 

Dieter Startz, BUS/MSE 

Sonja Waldenspul, BUS/MSP-D 

Concept, editorial work, layout: 

Newport3 Werbeagentur GmbH & Co. KG 

Neumann-Reichardt-Str. 27-33 

22041 Hamburg 

www.newport3.de 

Repro: 

Final Art Production 

Neumann-Reichardt-Str. 27-33 

22041 Hamburg 

Printing: 

Süddeutsche Verlagsgesellschaft Ulm 

Nicolaus-Otto-Straße 14 

89079 Ulm 

Setra Grand Prix 

An exciting drivers’ competition 

with many winners 

Ecological travel 

Coaches and their 

outstanding carbon footprint 

Special-edition series 

Limited TopClass coaches 

commemorate Setra’s 60 th anniversary 

Page 10 

Page 34 

Page 36

02 | Setra Impressions 

Setra Editorial | 03 

Dear customers and friends 

of the Setra brand, 

the beginning of Setra’s very special 60 th 

anniversary year has brought forth many 

wonderful memories from 1951, when Otto 

Kässbohrer laid the cornerstone for the 

Setra brand, with his invention of self-supporting 

bus construction. The fact that 

Setra has experienced phenomenal growth 

over the past six decades, bearing witness 

again and again to its “Best in Class” 

promise, is especially clear to us during this 

anniversary year. 

We are not only looking back. We are very 

much celebrating the present, which we 

are acknowledging with limited, 60-year 

special-edition coaches. This special-edition 

brings together the greatest expertise in 

bus and coach engineering, with beautiful 

reminders of Setra’s legendary success 

story. The noble and very special TopClass 

400 models are available, if so desired, in a 

metallic pearl finish. They feature many exclusive 

equipment details, as well as a very 

unique innovation: the staggered seating. 

You’ll find out more about these luxury 

coaches in this issue. 

A further highlight of the first half year was 

the 9 th Setra Grand Prix at the Nürburgring 

track. In April, bus drivers from all over 

Europe got together to test their skills in a 

friendly but nonetheless serious competition. 

The Setra Grand Prix and its awards 

are highly coveted among bus drivers, as an 

international highlight in the bus sector. 

Every two years, the air buzzes with excitement 

as 120 professional drivers take on 

the challenges in spectacular disciplines 

such as “Skilful driving”, “Driving safety” or 

– all new this year – night driving exercises. 

You’ll find out in our cover story who was 

“Best in Class” in 2011, and who ranked 

among the winners. This special issue of 

the SetraFamily magazine will also take you 

through a foray into coach and bus history. 

With one operator discovering a special 

Setra S 9 in a barn, another Setra fan travelling 

all through Europe with an unusual 

40-year-old S 150, while yet another less 

than young S 215 SL takes off towards Jordan 

for a good cause. Our current Setra 

models are also making their way around 

the world. At this year’s UMA exhibition, the 

new ComfortClass S 407, conceived especially 

for the US market, experienced its 

successful premiere. The touring coach, 

customised to fulfil American design preferences, 

offers American operators an 

extremely cost-effective alternative. 

As you can see, in the first half of 2011 

alone, Setra has been very active. And I 

would like to take a moment to reflect on 

the fact that I have now been with the Setra 

family for a good year. During this year, we 

were successful in positively developing 

our turnover and our market share. Our 

strong brand communications have certainly 

contributed to these positive developments. 

We are also looking ahead to the 

second half of the year with much optimism. 

We intend to further capitalise on our 

brand’s growth potential. To achieve this, 

we have to even more strongly anchor the 

Setra brand in new markets and with new 

target groups. With these objectives in 

mind, we will be finetuning our organisational 

structures, for example through ongoing 

development of our sales structures. The 

challenge will be to further evolve in terms 

of our products and services, while remaining 

true to the Setra brand. 

We have great plans and you can look forward 

to seeing them come to life. During 

this anniversary year, we are celebrating 

the real platform of our success. With 

coaches that stand out with their first-class 

comfort, unmatched safety, outstanding 

cost-effectiveness, customised equipment, 

timeless design, and last but certainly 

not least, premium service and support. 

We never lose sight of the people who make 

it all possible: our highly motivated employees, 

and of course, you – the customers 

and friends of the Setra brand. 

I thank you for your loyalty, and am very 

much looking forward to celebrating Setra’s 

anniversary year with you. 

Lothar Holder 

Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches 

EvoBus GmbH 

For the first time ever at the Setra Grand Prix, drivers took part in a night competition

04 | Setra Content 

Setra Content | 05 

The Setra Grand Prix once again called for 

10 an extra measure of sure instinct 

34 

Buses deliver an extremely environmentally 

friendly option to travellers 

BBS Travel takes delivery of two luxuriously 

41 equipped, glass-roof S 415 HD coaches 

Setra low-entry buses master a continuous 

24 25 % incline on the Kehlstein line 

44 

A vintage Setra takes part in a charityoriented 

desert rally 

20 

The new ComfortClass 400 ski box brings 

together outstanding design and functionality 

Cover Story 

Best in Class 

Highlight 

Family News 

Setra Individual 

10 | Setra Grand Prix 2011 

Bus drivers from all around the world 

met once again at the Nürburgring track 

for the Setra Grand Prix 

06 | The epitome of frugality 

A focus on Setra’s cost-effectiveness 

18 | Tried, tested, approved 

Testing Setra passenger seats 

28 | Factory tour 

What you should know about 

warehousing at Setra 

30 | UMA 2011 

All-new business opportunities from Setra 

34 | A focus on CO 2 

Environmentally friendly travel by bus 

and coach 

36 | TopClass special-edition coaches 

Limited series commemorate the brand’s 

60 th anniversary 

37 | The birth of a luxury coach 

A report on how the Hummel company’s 

special-edition coach came to life 

41 | Bus jewels of exquisite quality 

Two luxury touring coaches for BBS Travel 

Premium Service 

25 | OMNIplus DriverTraining 

Capitalising on pick-up day for driver 

training 

46 | News from the service network 

OMNIplus expands in Eastern Europe and 

on the Internet 

09 | Large orders from the Bosphorus 

Metro and Varan Turizm remain true 

to Setra 

23 | The biggest Setra fleet in the UK 

Another large order from Shearings 

24 | Next stop: Kehlstein 

Upper Bavarian Regional Transit (RVO) 

travels to Germany’s highest bus stop 

26 | Rendez-vous with the Setra family 

A look back and a look ahead at trade 

shows and exhibitions 

33 | TopClass for TopTeams 

The HC Barys hockey club drives Setra 

40 | New customers on board 

The Setra family continues to grow 

43 | Painting contest for kids 

Looking for new, young talent! 

44 | The Allgäu-Orient Rally 

A vintage Setra travels to the Orient 

for a good cause 

48 | A 55-year partnership 

The Imken company’s first Setra was an S 6 

49 | Pilgrimages’ increasing popularity 

Palm Reisen offers pilgrimages and 

cultural trips to Poland 

50 | An unusual coach presentation 

Autocares Mosquera at the Xacobeo 

in Spain 

20 | Brilliantly lightweight 

An advanced ski box was developed 

exclusively for the ComfortClass 400 

22 | A small solution with big impact 

The gas pedal lock option is slowly but 

surely becoming a trend

06 | Setra Best in Class Setra Best in Class | 07 

Sample distribution of lifecycle costs 

Capital costs 

12.0 % 

Fuel costs 

13.7 % 

Working materials 

1.7 % 

Tyres 

0.4 % 

Maintenance cost structure 

Repairs 

2.0 % 

Insurance 

0.4 % 

Maintenance 

5.5 % 

Servicing 

1.0 % 

Accident repairs 

0.4 % 

Driving personnel 

66.2 % 

Vehicle provision 

2.1 % 

A close look at Setra coach and bus cost-effectiveness: 

The lifecycle costs are the operating costs throughout the complete service life of the vehicle. 

They include many different factors 

Exceptionally cost-effective 

The “Best in Class” brand slogan is omnipresent at Setra and we are very committed to fulfilling our 

customers’ most discerning requirements. Of course, this also applies to cost-effectiveness which is 

influenced by a variety of factors. 

T 

here are many different factors 

that contribute to a coach’s costeffectiveness. 

Some are determined 

by the coach itself, while others are 

defined by bus operators. Fuel consumption 

and maintenance costs are key and 

they can be acted on directly. But Setra has 

always been known to think well beyond 

the obvious. For instance, ergonomically 

designed driver’s seats can have an influence 

on downtime due to illness, or driver 

assist-ance systems can reduce insurance 

pre-miums while preventing accidents and 

repair costs, to mention just a few. 

cates where action can be taken to reduce 

costs. 

With the development of the automated 

PowerShift 8-gear transmission, Setra took 

a big step in reducing fuel consumption – 

by up to 4 percent compared to competitive 

transmissions. With the introduction of 

the extended 6 th gear in the case of the 

GO 210/230 manual transmission, savings 

of up to 4.4 percent versus other systems can 

be achieved, thanks to the reduced number 

of revolutions during long-distance trips. 

BlueTec® SCR technology 

This savings potential has only become 

possible through BlueTec® SCR technology 

which enables highly efficient fuel combustion 

at low revolutions and high torque. It is 

becoming increasingly clear that only a 

finely tuned overall concept can optimally 

influence cost-effectiveness. This is why at 

Setra, all drivetrain variations are extensively 

aligned in testing activities (through 

test drives on long-distance trips, mountainous 

terrain, etc.) and only then are they 

approved for series production. 

Along with manufacturers, operators play 

a key role in the area of fuel consumption, 

since it is now a well-known fact that optimal 

savings can be achieved when the 

coach is ideally deployed and driven. Driver 

training from OMNIplus, which is recognised 

according to the commercial driver 

qualification regulations, familiarises bus 

drivers with the latest drivetrains and their 

characteristics (the highest levels of torque 

utilisation at low speeds, etc.) and indicates 

savings potential. Setra has also initiated 

optimisation in other areas which may not 

be as obvious. For instance, in updating the 

ComfortClass, weight was reduced in spite 

of the integration of the Front Collision 

Guard feature, partially through a new flap 

concept, a weight-reduced windshield, a 

weight-optimised air conditioning system, 

and a trailing axle with independent suspension. 

In the case of the triple-axle Setra 

GT-HD, more than 200 kg were saved – 

which also impacts on fuel consumption. 

Longer service intervals and service life 

Another factor that influences a coach’s 

cost-effectiveness are service intervals and 

component durability. The longer a component 

can be used, the more it serves a 

company’s cost-effectiveness over the long 

run. The same applies to service life. For 

this reason, Setra is working on extending 

service intervals and component and part 

durability to the greatest extent possible. 

For instance, in the case of air conditioning 

systems, through the use of large filter inserts 

which contribute to a longer service 

life. OMNIplus replacement parts also reflect 

a commitment to quality, durability, 

and the shortest possible downtimes. 

The diesel particle filter used in the Setra 

S 415 NF, which extends service intervals 

from 60,000 to up to 120,000 km, delivers 

another significant benefit. For coaches 

Transparency on vehicle deployment 

The first ever bus-specific OMNIplus Bus- 

Fleet telematics system provides significant 

transparency on vehicle deployment 

dimensions, such as driving behaviour, fuel 

consumption, downtimes, and maintenance 

planning. And this represents yet another 

opportunity for bus operators to reduce 

costs, since optimised transparency indithat 

met EEV emissions norm without 

particle filters, the use of SCR technology 

reduces costs, since the bus uses less fuel. 

And of course, additional costs associated 

with removing and cleaning the DPF, not to 

mention downtime, are eliminated. 

Setra is extremely cost-effective 

Overall, Setra coaches are very convincing 

in terms of their cost-effectiveness. And it 

is up to operators to further improve on this 

cost-effectiveness, since only they can 

make considerable savings by using preventive 

maintenance rather than repairs. 

The vehicle can then be deployed over longer 

periods of time at lower costs and 

The six pillars of Setra’s success 

downtimes can be planned, with shorter repair 

times enabling the bus to be back on 

the road faster. Setra also sees replacement 

parts as an important component of 

cost-effectiveness. Not only are series 

component and standard options considered 

for replacement parts sourcing, but 

also specially implemented customer 

wishes, thanks to detailed construction 

documentation, can be repaired even years 

after their installation. It simply doesn’t get 

any more cost-effective than this! 

1. Comfort: the well-being ‘without compromise’ that transforms 

passengers into friends and drivers into fans. 

2. Design: the coaches’ classic, distinctive design and the many details 

that make each and every Setra a gem. 

3. Equipment: to make every Setra truly unique and to allow customer 

visions to come to life. 

4. Premium support: the comprehensive service and support concept 

available to Setra customers – anytime and anywhere. 

5. Cost-effectiveness: to ensure that the joy of owning a Setra lasts a long 

time all the way through to its high resale value. 

6. Safety: reflected in well conceived, state-of-the-art technology that 

guarantees the highest safety standards.

08 | Setra Family News 

Setra Family News | 09 

France – Cars la Populaire: 

For the love of Setra 

At the French bus company Cars la Populaire, drivers have a lot to say about the equipment and 

design of the new coaches ordered. It’s no wonder that they are especially delighted when the time 

comes to pick up “their” personal Setra. 

Ultimately, it is the driver who spends the 

most time with the coach. And this is what 

the Creissels family-run operation in the 

South of France had in mind when they decided 

to involve their bus drivers in the design 

of the new coaches. When a coach is 

ordered in Neu-Ulm, the driver has a chance 

to incorporate his thoughts and wishes into 

the coach’s design and equipment. And, 

since it’s “his” bus, the driver’s name is 

displayed on the door of the vehicle. 

Thierry Ferard is one of Cars la Populaire 

drivers and he is absolutely 

thrilled with “his” 

new S 417 HD. To express 

his delight, he had a stamp 

made depicting the delivery 

– himself standing next 

to “his” bus – and sent it by 

mail to his colleague in Neu- 

Ulm. Now that’s what we call 

true love – and thank you so 

much for a great surprise! 

Turkey – Metro and Varan Turizm remain loyal to Setra: 

Large orders from the Bosphorus 

The news from the Bosphorus is great with two very large Setra orders. Metro ordered 100 Setra S 416 

GT-HD/2s coaches. And, with its most recent order for 15 double-axle coaches, Varan Turizm 

received its 250 th Setra. For 27 years, Setra’s luxuriously equipped touring coaches have been the 

number one choice in Turkey. 

Setra Book Bus with solar system: 

State-of-the-art technology up on the roof 

The Setra “Max II” from Stuttgart is the first book bus in Germany equipped with a solar system 

on its roof. 

The S 415 UL is 

one of two book 

buses in Stuttgart 

which serve the 23 

districts without 

access to a local 

library. With its 

5,000 print and 

digital media, the 

MultiClass 400 bus offers a rich selection 

of reading and information materials. 

Solar system with 500 watts 

Along with its environmentally friendly 

Euro V engine, the 12.2 metre long bus is 

also equipped with a rooftop photovoltaics 

system from the Evolution Special Vehicles 

company in Plattling, Germany. The system 

supplies the auxiliary heating, interior lighting, 

and the vehicle’s IT system with power. 

A total of six solar elements are located on 

the bus’ roof and their total output of 500 

watts is fed through a voltage transformer 

in the additional batteries. If the output is 

not sufficient, an automatic emergency 

power unit kicks in. This advanced technology 

makes this bus an environmental flagship 

for the brand. 

Customer-friendly on-board technology 

Along with environmental concerns, the 

mobile library places customer-friendliness 

in the foreground. The RFID (radio frequency 

identification) system – unique to Germany 

– identifies books and DVDs automatically. 

This significantly facilitates the borrowing 

and return process – making sure that avid 

readers have even more time to enjoy their 

reading. 

 

100 Setra S 416 GT-HD/2 coaches 

for Metro 

Lothar Holder and Galip Ötztürk from Metro seal the 

purchase agreement for 100 Setra ComfortClass 

touring coaches 

In early 2011, Metro in Istanbul, Turkey’s 

largest private bus operator, ordered 100 

Setra S 416 GT-HD/2 coaches. Metro has 

been a Setra partner since 2002 and is now 

enlarging its Setra fleet with the new 

double-axle coaches. The 100 highdecks will 

be delivered by late June and are the first 

ComfortClass coaches the company has 

ordered. Considering that 40 doubledecker 

S 431 DT coaches expanded the Metro fleet 

in 2008 and 2009, an order of this size 

bears impressive witness to the extent to 

which customers are convinced of Setra’s 

outstanding quality. Metro has cooperative 

partnerships with subcontractors to serve 

the country’s very popular touring lines, and 

covers 73 of Turkey’s 81 provinces with its 

large fleet. 

The 250 th Setra for Varan Turizm 

Varan Turizm has been a Setra customer 

since 1984 and, with the purchase of this 

milestone vehicle, has further enhanced 

its partnership with the Neu-Ulm manufacturer. 

The 250 th bus is a double-axle Setra 

S 416 GT-HD, part of an order for a total 

of 15 vehicles of this model. Five of the 

ComfortClass 400 coaches ordered were 

given over to Enis Pekuysal, Varan’s owner, 

by Lothar Holder, Managing Director Sales 

Setra Buses & Coaches EvoBus GmbH, at 

Setra’s CustomerCenter in Neu-Ulm. During 

the ceremony, Varan Turizm’s CEO underlined 

the benefits the new touring coaches offer 

his company: “With these vehicles, we can 

ideally bring together cost-effectiveness and 

superb comfort on our extensive route network.” 

 

Varan Turizm’s owner Enis Pekuysal receives his 

company’s 250 th Setra coach from Lothar Holder

10 | Setra Cover Story Setra Cover Story | 11 

2011 Setra Grand Prix: 

This year’s Grand Prix highlights 

On April 12 and 13, a very special event was held: 118 participants got together at the Nürburgring 

track, to put their bus driving skills to the test. As is most often the case with Setra, it was all about 

more than just pure competition. At the Setra Grand Prix, everyone had a memorable time, while 

enjoying a great Setra Family feeling.

Setra Cover Story | 13 

“The Setra was extremely stable in the slippery curve!” 

Ernst Rupprecht 

Typical April weather greeted visitors 

to the 9th Setra Grand Prix at the 

Nürburgring track – alternating between 

sleet and rain, as an impressive backdrop 

to the curves. In spite of the less than 

ideal weather conditions, Lothar Holder, 

Head of Sales Setra Buses and Coaches 

EvoBus GmbH, warmly welcomed the 118 

participants from 30 countries – and 30 

the dinner in the “Setra Lounge”, which had 

been decorated to reflect “60 years of 

Setra”. Even though the event was all about 

having fun, of course no one wanted to 

embarrass themselves behind the wheel. 

The historic displays with images and information 

on the anniversary, as well as decor 

and music reminiscent of the fifties, 

distracted the guests and contributed to 

a spontaneous round of enthusiastic 

applause. However, this resulted in the 

yardstick being especially high right from 

the start. Within two minutes, the bus has 

to first drive forwards through a lane of 

pylons, and then backwards through a 

parallel lane into a box. All of this, in the 

dark, with a covered reverse camera, and 

without touching the pylons. Otherwise, 

journalists from 20 countries who also actively 

participated for the first time ever – 

with absolute confidence that better 

weather would prevail. And he was right. No 

sooner did the practical orientation begin at 

the various competitive stations, did the 

sun appear, immersing the track in brilliant 

spring light. 

This year, the Setra organisational team 

initiated a number of innovations. To the 

surprise of the participants, the competition 

began with a night exercise. You could 

actually see the excitement in the drivers’ 

faces, when they were told about it during 

a relaxed atmosphere throughout the evening, 

and right up to the competition. 

Sure instinct and sensitivity 

During the “Skilful driving” night exercise at 

the paddock, drivers faced the challenge of 

putting their instincts and skills to the test. 

Those who didn’t have to go first counted 

themselves lucky. They had a chance to 

check out how those ahead of them performed, 

and to determine the best possible 

tactical approach. The first driver proved to 

have nerves of steel. He mastered the exercise 

so impressively that he was given 

points would be lost. Finally, the bus had 

to be parked with its rear positioned as 

closely as possible to a boundary. Too great 

a distance to the boundary would also 

result in a loss of points, as would touching 

the boundary. Although the challenge didn’t 

appear to worry any of the drivers, you 

couldn’t help but hear a boundary fall over 

from time to time, accompanied by whispers 

from the other drivers. Drivers having 

completed the exercise had to admit just 

how much instinct and skill were required 

to master this challenge.

14 | Setra Cover Story Setra Cover Story | 15 

Down the hill with gusto 

For the second “Safe driving” night exercise, 

participants moved to the Driving Safety 

Centre. The excitement grew as the group 

found out that the exercise was all about 

mastering a course with obstacles and a 

slippery-surface curve, in the dark. If you 

exceeded the maximum driving time or 

touched pylons, points would be lost. The 

drivers took on the hill with gusto, tyres 

squealing on the asphalt, as the bus hit the 

curve. Keeping your cool is what was needed 

to survive this exercise. And safe driving was 

only part of it. The participating drivers’ 

pulse was taken both before and after the 

drive, the challenge being to achieve as small 

a difference as possible – as measured 

using a heart rate monitor. The one with the 

lowest differential would be awarded the 

“Coolest driver” prize this year for the first 

time. And in fact, only very few worked up a 

sweat. “The Setra was extremely stable in 

the slippery curve!” exclaimed Ernst Rupprecht, 

Managing Director of Arzt Reisen 

company in Seligenporten, praising the 

merits of the special-edition S 416 GT-HD. 

“The ESP® was remarkable on the slippery 

surface.” Obviously this gave him confidence. 

He was able to master the challenge, 

with amazing “coolness”, as witnessed by 

his before and after pulse tests. Proud, 

relieved, and exhausted, the drivers managed 

to survive the first exciting Grand Prix day. 

A unique highlight, the Grand Prix track 

Hardcore racing was in the air the next 

morning for the “Economical driving” exercise, 

with its starting point at the pit area. 

And you could tell that most of the drivers 

were itching to take on the 5.1 km long 

Grand Prix track, just like Michael Schumacher, 

with speed being only part of the 

story. The objective was to consume the 

least possible amount of fuel, while driving 

at a good speed, and at the same time 

avoiding the ESP® kicking in. 

Somewhat overwhelmed by the legendary 

track, some of the drivers had great difficulty 

focusing on the exercise itself. “Driving 

a coach on this track is simply amazing!” 

raved Florian Koch, junior director of 

Omnibus Koch in Rohr, Middle Franconia. “I 

just can’t get enough of it! And I really hope 

that I’ll be able to participate again in two 

years!” In spite of the cool temperatures, 

the drivers exited the coaches all heated 

up, excitedly talking about their experiences 

on the track. For the next step on 

the agenda, they had to quickly lower their 

adrenaline levels to take on the “Skilful 

driving” exercise, where a steady hand was 

called for. But first, there was time for a pit 

stop with coffee and snacks. Along with refreshments, 

there was another task waiting 

for the drivers in the pit area. At the “digital 

tachograph”, they had to record a minute’s 

worth of working time on the driver’s card 

within no more than 60 seconds. The device 

is compulsory in most European countries: 

in some since 2006, and in others 

since early 2011. Its use isn’t yet regulated 

in Turkey and Kazakhstan. So the Turkish 

“Simply having the opportunity to drive this circuit 

with a coach is amazing!” 

Florian Koch 

and Kazak participants, as well as those 

from the USA, were given a special briefing 

– which provided them with a real benefit 

versus some of the other participants. 

Not everyone was able to correctly operate 

the device in 60 seconds, whereas others 

needed less than half the time. 

Skill and precision in the foreground 

The “Skilful driving” exercise showed who 

had real feeling in their “toes”, and the seemingly 

harmless-looking course was a lot 

tougher than it appeared to be. One driver 

headed into the roundabout with so much 

swing that the pylons flew. “All nine pins!“ 

yelled another participant, while others 

clapped encouragingly. Other competitors 

slowly and carefully moved from pylon to 

pylon, without much room between them 

and the tyres. Those used to driving doubleaxles 

had to quickly get used to how the 

agile triple-axles behaved on curves. Arlette 

Zügel, from Omnibusverkehr Zügel in Wüstenrot, 

one of the four participating women, 

went to the task with full concentration. 

“The parking last night didn’t go all that 

well, but today is already looking much better”, 

she said, pointing to the Setra with 

confidence. First onto the contact ramp, 

where the middle contact point had to be 

tant for this type of skilful driving exercise. 

The PowerShift transmission really helps 

you take it on in a relaxed way”, she commented, 

pleased with her performance, as 

she headed off to the pit stop. 

Into the curve with “feeling” 

There was yet another thrill awaiting the 

drivers at the “Safe driving” station at the 

Driving Safety Centre. Driving as fast as 

possible, they had to proceed from the dry 

lane onto a wet one, all the while avoiding 

two, his colleagues cheered him on loudly. 

“Sehr gut!” called another driver from the 

Serbian group, with his hands in the air and 

his thumbs up. These were the only two 

German words he knew. He himself had 

“The PowerShift transmission is an enormous help 

when real skill is called for.” 

Arlette Zügel 

successfully avoided the water fountains 

with the special-edition S 416 HD. What 

was so impressive? “The safety features 

and design are what make Setra so fantastic!” 

beamed Filip Kovacevic, from the Banbus 

company in Obrenovac, as his Serbian 

precisely driven on, and then into the Setra 

curve. In spite of the blinding sun, she succeeded 

in knocking down the wooden posts 

on the inside without touching the pylons. 

Arlette Zügel also managed to drive through 

the narrow 2.8 m gateway, moving onwards 

through the extremely tight roundabout, 

and mastering avoidance manoeuvres, and 

finally stopping very precisely at the end of 

the course. Relieved, she watched as the 

next driver proceeded to unintentionally 

clear away the wooden posts in the Setra 

curve. “Switching gears is hugely impor- 

unexpected rocketing water fountains. 

Right next door, the challenge was all about 

good timing in the double roundabout. Increasing 

speed downhill to about 30 km/h, 

then into the roundabout for one and a half 

rounds on varying surfaces – far from easy! 

If they took the curve with too much power, 

the ESP® quickly kicked in the brakes, 

resulting in poor timing performance. 

A group from Serbia contributed to an 

entertaining time for Group D. One of the 

drivers had been up most of the night, after 

a poor night exercise performance. On day 

friends celebrated his success. The journalists 

were offered a special treat as well. 

They had an opportunity to view the Grand 

Prix from a very unique perspective – from 

a helicopter’s bird’s eye view. At the end 

of the second day, all you could see 

were smiling faces. Just on time, the five 

groups completed their tasks. And the 

event’s organisation was once again outstanding. 

All participants, along with Setra 

employees and journalists, got together at 

the paddock, where 25 Setra coaches had 

been brought into position, in view of

16 | Setra Cover Story 


Great Britain - UK Coach Awards: 

Right-hand drive is three times a winner 

In April, 250 bus sector representatives and several VIPs gave the right-hand drive ComfortClass 

S 416 GT-HD RL the coveted “Coach of the Year” award. 

F 

or the third time in a row, Great 

Britain’s most important coach award 

went to Setra. 80 operators and organisations 

in the bus sector were recognised for 

their outstanding achievements at the Ramada 

Jarvis Piccadilly Hotel in Manchester. 

The right-hand drive Setra S 416 GT-HD RL 

was the proud recipient of the “Coach of 

the Year” award. The jury acknowledged 

the ComfortClass as “one of the most 

state-of-the-art and innovative coaches on 

Europe’s roads today”, which sets new 

standards in safety, design, and cost-effectiveness. 

Materials of the highest quality, 

low noise levels, and a first-class air conditioning 

system all contribute to making long 

journeys a true pleasure. 

 

Overall winners: 

1 st place: Roberto Magrini, 

Cardinali Giancarlo, Italy, 

2 nd place: Johannes Backes, 

Backes-Bus-Reisen, 

3 rd place: Jan-Erik Block, 

Omnibusbetrieb Alfred Block 

Ladies’ overall winner: 

Arlette Zügel, Omnibusverkehr Zügel 

Economical driving: 

Vernons Kiesners, 

NORDEKA A/S, Latvia 

Skilful driving: 

Roberto Magrini, 

Cardinali Giancarlo, Italy 

Safe driving: 

Patrick Harnisch, 

Omnibusreisen Werner Schneider KG 

Coolest driver: 

Reiner Rostek, Hülsmann Reisen GmbH 

Best young driver: 

Jan-Erik Block, 

Omnibusbetrieb Alfred Block 

immortalising all participants on an impressive 

anniversary shot taken from a helicopter 

at a height of 40 metres. As the sun 

gave off its last evening rays at the famous 

Nürburgring track, all 320 Grand Prix participants 

moved into the shape of the number 

60. A memorable closing impression after a 

highly successful Setra Grand Prix event. 

The evening culminated with a relaxed and 

festive awards ceremony. The hall buzzed 

with excited murmuring, until the moment 

the winners were announced. For the first 

time ever, 14 journalists had also participated 

in a “compact” version of the competition, 

which enabled them to report firsthand 

on the experience. This year, prizes 

were awarded in several categories. Roberto 

Magrini, from Cardinali Giancarlo in Italy, 

won first place in the men’s overall ranking, 

as well as in the “Skilful driving” category. 

The best female driver was Arlette Zügel, 

from Omnibusverkehr Zügel in Wüstenrot, 

who also achieved an impressive overall 

ranking of 48. In country rankings, Denmark 

won ahead of Italy and Austria. The 

“Economical driving” award went to Vernons 

Kiesners from NORDEKA A/S in 

Latvia. The winner in the “Safe driving” 

category was Patrick Harnisch from Omnibusreisen 

Werner Schneider. The tonguein-cheek 

“Coolest driver” award went to 

Reiner Rostek from Hülsmann Reisen. And 

finally, the best “Young driver” award was 

given to Omnibusbetrieb Alfred Block’s Jan- 

Erik Block, who was easily able to hold his 

own, achieving third overall ranking. 

At the end of the evening, with or without 

an award to take home, all those present 

were pleased with their achievements, and 

delighted with the outcome of the 2011 

Setra Grand Prix. New friendships were 

made, and long-standing relationships were 

renewed. Everyone agreed that these two 

days had once again represented a very 

successful Setra Family get-together. 

“Best Bus 2010”: 

Triple win for Setra 

In its 03/10 issue, BUSFahrer magazine 

had its readers select their favourite touring 

coach. The outcome: all places on the 

winners’ platform went to Setra! The 

awards were distributed in a festive ceremony 

held in the context of the Setra 

Grand Prix. Just like every year, BUSFahrer 

readers were called to vote for their favourite 

buses. The Setra ComfortClass S 416 

GT-HD was selected “Best Coach 2010” in 

the touring coach category, receiving excellent 

marks in all areas and especially in 

handling, safety features, and the driver’s 

view to the exterior. The Setra S 415 GT-HD, 

another highdeck bus from the Comfort- 

Class, followed with second place. The 

high-floor S 416 H, the 13 m version of the 

new Setra MultiClass double-earner, took 

over third place. A spectacular family win, 

all along the line! 

Bosnia – Setra S 415 GT-HD selected “Bus of the Year 2010”: 

An award sets the tone 

Setra has earned even more awards. In Bosnia, the “Auto” trade journal selected Setra to receive the 

“Bus of the Year 2010” award, for the third time in four years. This year, the honour went to a Setra 

S 415 GT-HD. 

T 

he Bosnian trade magazine “Auto” 

gave the Setra S 415 GT-HD the “Bus 

of the Year 2010” award. It is the third 

award of its kind in Bosnia which was given 

to Setra within four years. The last two were 

given to two TopClass 400 coaches. This 

time, a ComfortClass coach equipped with 

a Euro V engine and owned by the Cicko 

Commerce bus company in Tomislavgrad 

was the proud recipient of the award. 

Lothar Holder, Head of Sales Setra Buses 

and Coaches EvoBus GmbH, is delighted 

with the award: “In spite of a challenging 

market context, this prize makes a clear 

statement in our sector. It confirms that we 

are on the right track towards successfully 

establishing our products in Central and 

Eastern Europe.”


Test series – passenger seats: 

Tried, tested, and approved! 

A coach’s seats are key to its interior design. They also play a significant role in comfort and safety. 

Sound reasons to put seats through comprehensive testing before they are built into a Setra. 

subjects, which are then ultimately followed 

by extensive customer drive testing programs. 

Endurance and load testing is performed 

in the early stages of development, 

whereby testing is run on all moving parts, 

such as armrests. The aisle-side armrests 

of the new seats feature a fold-down swivel 

Component strength testing is performed 

to enable maximum protection against damage 

through normal use as well as damage 

ation as well. Vibrations reflecting the most 

varied road conditions are collected in a simulated 

endurance cycle, whereby the double 

seat and its individual compo-nents are 

tested for durability and safety. 

Safety is one of the six pillars which reflect 

the values of the Setra brand. Bus opera- 

W 

hen you enter a coach, the 

many rows of seats create a 

passenger’s first impression. 

And, along with the exterior paint job and 

colour, seat design is what ultimately gives 

each and every Setra an individual note. In 

order to fulfil the highest possible number 

of customer wishes, Setra offers a vast selection 

of different seat components, from 

which customers can individually design 

their seats. 

The seat is also central to experiencing a 

feeling of comfort. During the journey, it’s 

primarily the seats that make sure that the 

trip in a Setra is as comfortable and relaxed 

as possible. To guarantee this, the seat 

features several ergonomic and safetyoriented 

details which remain unseen. 

Painstakingly tested 

Setra received a lot of attention with its 

new generation of passenger seats premiered 

at the 2010 IAA. They combine outstanding 

comfort, low weight, superior 

functionality, and the greatest possible 

safety – and all of this with unmatched variability. 

The range extends from functional 

seats for excursion buses and combination 

line and touring applications, all the way 

through to luxury recliners for long-distance 

touring coaches. But before the seats are 

actually built into the buses, each and every 

one of them is put through a full series of 

demanding tests. These tests are split into 

three categories: dynamic testing (crash 

tests), static testing, and ergonomic testing. 

The dynamic and static safety tests are 

legally prescribed for seat certification. 

Furthermore, the seats’ and their components’ 

operational sturdiness, as well as 

comfort, are assessed through a variety of 

ergonomic tests with dummies and test 

mechanism, which folds the armrest under 

the side panel, enabling easy side access 

to the seat. For this new mechanism, materials 

and surface coatings were optimised 

through extensive testing, to ensure high 

cycle times – and so that the customer 

need not be concerned about any longterm 

effects on operating the armrests. 

Purely functional components such as a 

seat’s suspension are also put through 

endurance testing, to guarantee that the 

seats continue to offer optimal comfort 

and functionality even after many years of 

heavy-duty service. 

caused by vandalism. In this context, the 

armrests are put through testing whereby 

they are moved, prodded, and pushed in 

different directions, attempts are made to 

remove handles and tensile testing is done 

on seat backs to verify and work against 

deformability. 

And finally, in slow motion, all assembled 

seat components, e.g. the double seat is 

put through swinging and vibrational movement 

to simulate every-day traffic activity 

via hydro-pulse testing. Of course, the fact 

that Setra vehicles are deployed in a variety 

of European regions is taken into consider- 

tors count on the fact that the highest 

standards of quality and safety are met for 

Setra seats as well. A further guarantee for 

success is the very unique level of comfort 

that goes into making sure that Setra seats 

fulfil the highest ergonomic standards. It’s 

no wonder that the new generation of seats 

from Setra has received extremely positive 

accolades from all directions.

20 | Setra Individual Setra Individual | 21 

Lightweight yet very robust 

“A challenge we faced while developing this 

high-volume unit was the required combination 

of low weight and high inherent stiffness, 

to avoid deformation when full, as 

well as the build-up of structural vibrations 

during the drive”, comments Fiberfab’s president 

Christian Kuhnle, describing the ski 

box’s exacting development process. A type 

1140 polyester resin was selected, which is 

characterised by high-level tensile and bending 

strength as well as thermal stability. The 

UD glass fibre coatings were optimally positioned 

in the force transmission segments 

at the four mounting points. A supporting 

steel tube frame was used to ensure the 

best possible mount. And the required payload 

of 300 kg was in fact exceeded by 

close to ten percent. 

A perfect alliance of design 

and functionality 

An aspect which was key for Setra was the 

ski box’s looks, which had to suit the Setra 

ComfortClass 400. Further requirements: 

original components, e.g. taillights and 

locks, needed to be used; the box would 

have to be easy to mount and dismantle; 

and a single person would need to be able 

to swing out the unit, to ensure quick 

access to the engine compartment. As well, 

unobstructed use of the emergency exit 

through the rear window was an absolute 

must for Setra. Furthermore, the box would 

need to be conceived for a variable storage 

system with different installation kits, to 

meet all loading requirements. The fine 

balancing act between adjusting to the 

vehicle’s body shape and maintaining a 

reasonable distance from the engine compartment, 

to ensure ventilation and removal 

of hot air, had to succeed as well. 

The project took three months from the 

initial meetings through to the first functional 

prototypes. Setra ran time-accelerated 

endurance stress testing with the preseries 

samples, whereby a distance of 

250,000 km with a full load was simulated. 

In spite of their extremely lightweight construction, 

all samples survived these challenging 

tests, and the result is this specialoption 

ski box which was launched in series 

in mid 2010. 

 

An altogether new ski box concept: 

Brilliantly lightweight construction 

Fiberfab – a specialist in lightweight construction – developed an advanced ski box for the Comfort- 

Class 400 and exclusively for Setra. The innovation is the result of close collaboration between the 

two firms from the first sketch all the way through to series production, and is anything but a simple, 

built-on box to transport skis and luggage. 

O 

ff to the mountains by bus on a 

skiing holiday. For most ski fans, 

this sparks images of knee-deep 

powder snow, gorgeous sunshine, and endless 

trails, but the somewhat more pragmatically 

oriented technicians at Setra have 

other priorities in mind. How can you transport 

skis by bus in the most convenient and 

space-saving way possible? To come up 

with an answer to this challenge, Setra 

opened up a pitch whereby the Fiberfab 

company created several designs, one of 

which was way ahead of anything the 

competition had to offer. Once the new 

construction’s stability passed demanding 

testing, the next step led to detailed 

construction and to developing the first 

prototypes. 

The ski box is a GFK glass fibre steel hybrid 

construction, which can be used for Setra 

models from the ComfortClass 400 GT 

and GT-HD series, and which is offered exclusively 

by Setra. It is approximately 

2.4 m wide, 1.8 m high and 0.7 m deep and 

features a capacity of 3 m 3 . With its own 

weight of 170 kg, it achieves a payload of 

close to 330 kg.

22 | Setra Individual 


Great Britain – another large order from Shearings: 

The biggest Setra fleet in the Kingdom 

The Shearings Group has once again placed a large order of Setra coaches. As in 2009 and 2010, 

45 coaches from the Setra ComfortClass were delivered to Great Britain’s biggest tour operator. 

When the doors are open, the gas pedal lock can considerably enhance passenger safety when entering and exiting the bus 

The gas pedal lock as customised option: 

A small solution with big impact 

One of Setra’s key objectives is to successfully fulfil its customers’ special needs and wishes. In fact, 

T 

he Shearings Group in Wigan in 

the Greater Manchester County 

decided to further its great collaboration 

with Setra. With the recent delivery 

of 45 right-hand-drive highdeck coaches, 

Shearings’ fleet now includes over 135 

Setra vehicles, making it the largest Setra 

fleet in Great Britain. The new additions to 

the family include 15 Setra S 415 GT-HD 

coaches with 48 seats, which are driven exclusively 

by Shearings’ National Holiday 

brand, as well as 30 Setra S 416 GT-HD 

coaches. Ten of the S 416 GT-HD coaches 

are also equipped with 48 seats and are deployed 

by Shearings’ Grand Tourer brand 

for European tours on the continent. The 

remaining 20 of the S 416 GT-HDs have 

52 seats and are used by Shearings UK in 

Great Britain. 

In 2009, Shearings began converting its 

bus fleet to Setra vehicles. Prior to the 

decision to do this, EvoBus UK was put 

through a demanding selection process in 

which the Setra coaches came out as clear 

winners. As early as in year one, the partnership 

grew into such a positive and trusting 

relationship that EvoBus UK was chosen 

as “Business Partner of the Year 2009”. 

According to Denis Wormwell, Shearings’ 

managing director, the Setra fleet is making 

a significant contribution to the company’s 

success. “To date, all the Setra coaches 

have proven to be very reliable. Also, the 

support we have been receiving from Evo- 

Bus is unmatched. With our investment in 

the new Setra fleet, which is equipped with 

state-of-the-art engine technology, fuel 

consumption will be reduced even further 

and our carbon footprint per passenger will 

be improved considerably. Furthermore, 

thanks to the outstanding comfort the 

Setra coaches offer, we are achieving our 

top business objective, to provide our customers 

with an even more pleasurable 

travel experience.” 

 

this is intrinsic to Setra’s “Best in Class” promise. Some of these special customer options evolve 

into actual trends – like the gas pedal lock. 

I 

n some Mediterranean countries, 

many bus operators no longer want to 

do without them. And over recent 

years, demand for gas pedal locks has increased 

in Germany as well. The feature is 

especially popular for vehicles from the 

MultiClass which are used for intercity and 

regional services. It can however be built 

into any other Setra model. 

Individually defined functionality 

The gas pedal lock ensures that the gas 

pedal function is automatically blocked under 

certain operating conditions. Setra customers 

can determine individually when the 

gas pedal lock should kick in, e.g. when 

doors are open, at stops, when the parking 

brake is engaged, and/or when the transmission 

is in neutral gear. Since the gas 

pedal lock does not require any special 

mechanical parts and can be adjusted electronically 

via a special software, many 

combinations are possible. 

Multiple advantages 

The gas pedal lock offers several benefits, 

but above all it serves to support the driver 

while enhancing passenger safety. Since 

with the gas pedal lock, gas is sourced only 

when the parking brake and stopping brake 

are released and the vehicle can drive, it is 

also easy on the transmission. It saves fuel, 

since the engine can only idle when the 

vehicle is standing. It also supports smooth 

starts, since the engine only increases revs 

when the gear is engaged and the brakes 

are released. Less acceleration pays off – 

and it’s no wonder that this trend is becoming 

increasingly popular among bus 

operators. 

 

EcoTraining from OMNIplus 

The gas pedal lock is one of many technical 

features that save fuel. And OMNIplus offers 

a further opportunity to do so with its 

EcoTraining program, where drivers are 

shown that saving fuel while respecting the 

driving schedule is most definitely possible. 

In fact, practical experience has clearly demonstrated 

that between three to five percent 

fuel can be saved over the long term. 

Dates and venues for the next EcoTraining 

sessions are: 

June 15, 2011 OMNIplus TrainingCenter, 

Werk Mannheim 

July 21, 2011 OMNIplus TrainingCenter, 

Ulm 

August 17, 2011 OMNIplus BusWorld 

Home, Dortmund 

Further information is available at 

www.omniplus.com.


Setra Premium Service | 25 

Kehlstein line – six S 415 NF for RVO: 

With a Setra to Germany’s 

highest bus stop 

The extremely steep Kehlstein mountain road has been blocked to private traffic since the 1950s. 

Today, the route, which covers 6.5 km and an altitude differential of 700 m, is driven by Setra lowentry 

coaches owned by the Upper Bavarian Regional Transit company (RVO). 

OMNIplus DriverTraining: 

Brief, train, and go! 

Requirements for basic qualifications and ongoing driver training in the areas of commercial goods 

and passenger transportation is determined by professional driver qualification laws (BKrFQG in 

Germany). Training needs to be repeated every five years. 

F 

or over 50 years, the RVO, a subsidiary 

of the DB City Transit, has 

been serving the Kehlstein line on 

behalf of the Berchtesgaden tourist board. 

The road from Upper Salzburg to the Kehlsteinhaus 

(Eagle’s Nest) features a constant 

gradient of 25 percent all the way up 

to Germany’s highest bus stop. 

During the summer months, 3,700 visitors 

are brought there daily. The continuous upand-down 

drive places extreme demands 

on the safety, cost-effectiveness, and handling 

of the bus fleet which has comprised 

Setra coaches for over 30 years. With the 

latest addition of six Setra MultiClass S 415 

NF vehicles to the fleet, a total of 500 Setra 

coaches have been deployed by the RVO in 

the company’s 35-year history. 

To meet the demands of the challenging 

route, the Setra low-entry coaches were 

equipped with automatic transmissions. 

Normally, high-entry coaches with manual 

transmissions would be more suitable for 

gradient inclines, but in this case they did 

not represent a viable alternative. For a 

very simple reason: it was considered vital 

that passengers be able to enter and exit 

the coaches as easily as possible. To achieve 

this, low-floor Setra coaches were equipped 

with four-gear Voith 864.5 automatic transmissions 

ideally suited to mountain road 

applications, which require few gear changes 

during a slow drive, while going easy on the 

powertrain and enhancing drive comfort 

through smooth, continuously variable transmission. 

To ensure an effortless climb, a 

260 kW OM 467 (h)LA diesel engine is deployed, 

while a Voith retarder guarantees 

gentle braking on the way down. 

S 

etra offers its customers training 

from the very first moment they 

pick up a new Setra bus in Neu- 

Ulm, Germany. A detailed customer briefing 

on the bus’ functionality is already an intrinsic 

part of every delivery. The briefing 

covers all the knowledge required to ensure 

safe bus operation and handling, while 

enabling customers to fully take advantage 

of their new coach’s technical potential 

right from the start. 

With an upgrade from this basic vehicle 

briefing to a full-fledged OMNIplus Driver- 

Training program, customers can have their 

training certified according to the BKrFQG 

on the very day they pick up a new bus. 

They can select the key areas they and their 

driver(s) can be trained on, including practical 

training, economical driving, EC social 

policy provisions/digital tachograph, behaviour 

in emergency situations, or even market 

and image development – making sure that 

they are ideally prepared to fully take advantage 

of their new coach. 

The entire selection of OMNIplus 

training programs offered are available on 

the Internet at www.omniplus.com. 

Or, you can simply call us at 

+49 (0)621/740-2487 for more information. 

We’ll be pleased to hear from you. 

The OMNIplus DriverTraining program 

is offered in two versions: 

• Arrival in Neu-Ulm by 8.00 

• Briefing on the new vehicle during the 

morning 

• Training (acc. to BKrFQG) during the 

afternoon 

• Training ends at 10.00 

• Arrival in Neu-Ulm by 13.00 

• Briefing on the new vehicle during the 

afternoon 

• Training (acc. to BKrFQG) the next 

morning 

• Training ends at 13.00


Tur2011, Göteborg (Sweden) 

At the end of March, Setra was on location 

with a S 417 HDH at the Swedish Exhibition 

Center in Göteborg, at the Bus Sector State 

Association’s stand. A “60 Years” specialedition 

S 416 HDH model was available for 

test drives. 

Setra Träff, Eksjö (Sweden) 

On January 14/15, 2011, a customer event 

was held at the Vehicle Training Center in 

Eksjö where a S 411 HD and a special-edition 

S 416 HDH were exhibited. 

Persontrafik, Stockholm (Sweden) 

Between October 26 and 28, 2010, Setra’s 

very popular solution for combining people 

transit and goods transportation was 

presented, a S 417 UL with the GR-3500 

trailer. 

SetraShow Kerpen (Germany) 

As in Leipzig, Setra’s spectacular ABA demonstration 

sparked high-level interest in 

Kerpen. The many visitors from the region 

had a unique opportunity to find out about 

Setra’s 60-year history. 

Setra Grand Prix, Nürburgring/Eifel 

(Germany) 

In April, it was once again time for the popular 

Setra Grand Prix event! The Nürburgring’s 

exciting racing atmosphere proved irresistible 

to the many enthusiastic bus drivers, 

who could once again show off their skills 

and expertise in Setra coaches. A novelty 

testing highlight of the event was the night 

drive exercise (see cover story p. 10). 

An award-winning presentation: the Setra stand at the Philoxenia exhibition in Thessaloniki, Greece 

A look back and a look ahead at trade shows: 

Rendez-vous with Setra 

In the bus sector, personal business contacts are extremely important. For this very reason, trade 

shows are popular meeting places. Here, SetraFamily gives you an overview of those recently 

experienced and those to come. 

A look back: 

26 th Philoxenia 2010, Thessaloniki 

(Greece) 

In November, 15,000 visitors attended the 

tourism show in Thessaloniki, to admire the 

wares presented by 359 exhibitors. At the 

Setra stand, along with a TopClass S 411 HD 

and a ComfortClass S 415 GT-HD, original 

replacement parts were presented by 

OMNIplus. The Setra presentation was supported 

by the Leoforeia Stamatiou S.A. 

company, the EvoBus distributor in Greece 

and Cyprus. The result was a “Best in Class” 

trade show stand that received the “Special 

award for the most well organised presentation” 

from the HELEXPO organisation. 

18 th International Used Coach & Bus 

Show (IGOM), Neu-Ulm (Germany) 

Close to 1,700 international visitors came 

together at the beginning of the year for the 

traditional New Year Used Coach & Bus 

Show in Neu-Ulm, which once again turned 

out to be a significant contact platform with 

true international flair. The selection included 

over 200 pre-owned vehicles of various 

brands, 75 of which found new owners at 

the event. 

CMT Stuttgart 

At the Stuttgart tourism show at the end of 

January, the WBO association and three 

customers with Setra coaches were on site. 

Premium coaches at the CMT! 

SetraShow Leipzig (Germany) 

The highlight at the Zwenkau ServiceCenter 

was the original Setra S 8 from 1951, the 

first bus built with a self-supporting frame. 

Further highlights at the SetraShow in early 

spring were the S 416 HDH and the specialedition 

S 415 HD, which were available for 

test drives along with other models. 

A look ahead: 

RDA Workshop, Cologne (Germany) 

At the International Bus Tourism Exhibition 

in Cologne, service providers from all tourism 

sectors will be presenting a cross-section 

of their offerings, travel destinations, 

and accessories. At this year’s RDA Workshop, 

not only will Setra be celebrating its 

60 th anniversary in Hall 10, the trade show 

itself will be turning 60 as well. 

July 26-28, 2011 

Information: www.rda.de 

80 th Izmir Enternasyonal Fuari, Turkey 

This very popular exhibition always delivers 

a very unique experience to its visitors. 

Due to high temperatures, the show only 

opens its doors at 17:00. And until 1:00 in 

the morning, visitors can chat and admire 

the wares in a relaxed atmosphere. Setra 

will be present with three coaches at the 

VARSAN Setra distributor’s stand at the 

Lozan entrance. Austria is partner country 

to the 2011 exhibition. 

September 8-18, 2011 

Information: ief.izfas.com.tr 

Transexpo Kielce, Poland 

Setra’s 60 th anniversary will be the highlight 

at the 800 sq m stand in Hall E shared by 

Setra, Mercedes-Benz, and OMNIplus. A Setra 

special-edition S 415 HD will be presented. 


Information: www.targikielce.pl 

Busworld, Kortrijk (Belgium) 

Setra will be exhibiting with a new stand 

concept in Hall 5 at Europe’s largest bus 

and coach trade show. The complete Setra 

family – including operators, drivers, manufacturers, 

and suppliers – will all come together 

to enjoy a welcoming, comfortable 

get-together. This year too, the Setra Design- 

Center will be part of the excitement, with 

its large selection of materials and paints. 

October 21-26, 2011 

Information: www.busworld.org 

Other shows and exhibitions: 

• Transport, Lillestrøm, Norway, 


• Rencontres nationales du transport 

public, Strasbourg, France, 

October 12-14, 2011 

• SetraShow Kloten, Switzerland, 

November 3/4, 2011 

• SetraShow Neu-Ulm, Germany 

November 5/6, 2011 

• SetraShow Salzburg, Austria, 

November 11-13, 2011

28 | Setra Best in Class 


Setra Factory Tour – Warehousing: 

“Chaos” with a system 

For the first part of our “Setra Factory Tour” series, we spoke with foreman Walter Adolf about the 

so-called “chaotic warehousing” system. For 38 years, Mr Adolf was employed as testing engineer 

and supervisor at Setra. Today, he gives guided tours to visitors through the plant he knows so well. 

Mr Adolf, Einstein 

knew early 

on that only a 

genius can master 

chaos. Does 

the same apply 

to chaotic warehousing? 

Indeed. “Chaotic 

warehousing” is only possible with a finely 

tuned and highly sophisticated system. And 

optimally functioning warehousing software 

is a prerequisite to its success. That’s chaos 

with a system! With today’s fully automatic 

warehousing, you save space, personnel, 

and time. The storage and retrieval machine 

stores parts where there is room for them, 

remembers exactly where, and retrieves 

them as needed. 

Do you use automatic warehousing in 

all warehouses? 

No. In just-in-time warehouses, there are 

pre-specified locations for parts. And the 

forklifts deliver them directly to the line as 

required. 

Why don’t all parts go directly 

to the line? 

Because Setra produces its vehicles with 

many variations. Approximately 95 percent 

of all coaches are produced taking into account 

special customer wishes and needs. 

On average, each bus meets 11 special 

customer wishes. So every bus requires different 

parts and configurations. 

How does a production line worker 

know what the correct configuration is? 

Part lists are detailed in the vehicle work 

plan. 

And how do the workers receive 

the materials they need? 

All bus-specific parts arrive at the line 

directly on commissioning carts. Double 

quantities of small parts are placed in two 

identical boxes at the worker’s station. 

Why is that? 

When one box is empty, a foreman gives the 

material sheet list to the so-called Kanban 

station, which is emptied three times a day. 

The sheet is then brought to the storage 

area where the materials are sourced from. 

After about three hours, the automatically 

filled box is brought back to the line. 

Now that doesn’t sound like chaos at all. 

You’re right. Only if the IT system completely 

breaks down, would we then experience 

complete chaos! 

Setra warehousing facts 

and figures: 

• Approx. 950 vendors supply the 

Setra plant. 

• 80-90 trucks deliver parts daily. 

• 132 workers and 4 supervisors are 

employed at the Setra plant. 

• Approx. 3,000 “commissionings” 

are executed daily. 

• Up to 19 coaches can be produced 

in a single day. 

• Warehouse stock is valued at approx. 

25 million Euros. 

• 42,000 different parts are stored in the 

production warehouse. 

• There are 21,300 positions in the fully 

automatic high-bay warehouse. 

• There are 5,760 shelves in the fully 

automatic small parts warehouse. 

• The warehouse has a reach of 20 days, 

the point at which parts need replacing. 

Sweden – 7 Setra S 417 UL coaches for Ceris Resor AB: 

Northbound with a luggage trailer 

At the end of 2010, seven Setra S 417 UL coaches were delivered to the Ceris Resor AB in Timrå, a 

company with a long tradition in the North of Sweden. Six of those are equipped with a trailer hitch. 

At the public transport exhibition 

held in Stockholm in October 2010, 

the first Setra S 417 UL bus with a 

trailer hitch for the GR-3500 trailer 

was presented. This combination 

of intercity bus and trailer is in 

demand – especially in the far 

North – and represents an excellent 

alternative to the more costly 

cargo coaches. Often, in areas of 

low population density, coaches 

targeted exclusively to passenger 

transit doesn’t necessarily make 

good financial sense. The trailer is 

insulated, features a cooling and 

heating system, a reverse camera, 

Spain – 14 new Setra S 415 NF coaches for Autocoaches Jiménez: 

To great neighbours! 

On that very special day it wasn’t the famous 

Rioja wine which brought crowds together 

in the provincial capital of the same 

name. The focus was on the 14 brand new 

Setra MultiClass coaches 

which Autocoaches Jiménez, 

a fourth generation 

bus operator, added to its 

fleet. 200 well-wishers gathered 

to celebrate the expansion 

of the city’s transit 

system, in which a half million 

passengers travel 1.85 

million km every year. Autocoaches 

Jiménez has a 

clear objective: to offer 

safe and comfortable public 

transportation meeting the expectations 

of the citizens of Logroño and La Rioja. 

With the 14 new Setra double-axle 

vehicles which bring together the latest 

a non-slip floor surface, and a lift which 

can carry up to 1,000 kg. The trailer 

can transport a maximum of two tons. 

“Together with Setra, we developed a 

solution that combines passenger transit 

and freight transport, without in any 

way affecting travel comfort”, says 

Benny Eriksson, managing director of 

Ceris Resor AB. “With the trailer we 

can now use the coaches during the 

week for line haul, while transporting 

freight. And then on weekends, the bus 

is on the road without the trailer.” 

In December 2010, Autocoaches Jiménez took delivery of 14 new Setra S 415 NF coaches for the 

urban transit system in Logroño, capital of La Rioja in Northern Spain. 

technology with appealing design and outstanding 

cost-efficiency, there is no doubt 

that the company’s objective will be 

achieved. A very special feature of the 

coaches is the equipment it provides 

for handicapped passengers: along with 

42 seats, all coaches offer room for a 

wheelchair – with unobstructed access to 

the interior via an electronic ramp. In the 

future, thanks to Autocoaches Jiménez and 

its new Setra MultiClass fleet, more and 

more neighbouring towns can be conveniently 

reached from Logroño using public 

transit. Reason enough to toast to the 

future of urban transit and great neighbours 

with a glass of Rioja.


Setra Best in Class | 31 

USA – UMA 2011: 

A new motorcoach opens up 

all-new business opportunities 

At this year’s UMA Expo, the American version of the Setra ComfortClas S 407 celebrated a highprofile 

premiere. The second exhibition motorcoach, a TopClass S 417, found its new owner – the 

Canadian Trius Tours company – directly at the show. 

A 

t this year’s UMA Expo held in 

Florida, Setra showed off its new 

ComfortClass, developed especially 

for the American market. Just like the 

TopClass S 417, also exhibited at the show, 

the new Setra ComfortClass S 407 is a 

motorcoach specially designed to meet 

American design requirements. For Lothar 

Holder, Head of Sales Setra Buses and 

Coaches EvoBus GmbH, this model opens 

up new and very attractive business opportunities: 

“With the new ComfortClass S 407, 

we are offering American bus operators a 

very interesting and cost-effective alternative, 

which beautifully fulfils all our customers’ 

needs and wishes, while delivering 

outstanding Setra quality.” Mr Holder has 

good reason to be optimistic about the 

new launch. The American version of the 

TopClass 400 was presented at the UMA 

Expo held in Orlando in 2003 and its success 

has been remarkable: 900 units of the 

luxury motorcoach are now being driven in 

the USA, Canada, and Mexico. 

American design 

As in Europe, there are differences between 

the American TopClass and Comfort- 

Class models, especially with regards to 

interior equipment. The ComfortClass S 407 

motorcoach’s exterior appearance is 

shaped by the American-standard mirror 

system and from the front and rear bumpers. 

A robust frame at the front of the coach 

in combination with the bumper significantly 

absorb impact in the case of a collision, 

in accordance with American regulations. 

The rear bumper, which is positioned under 

the LED rear lights specially developed 

for the ComfortClass S 407, also fulfils 

stringent regulations. The LED docking 

lights ensure excellent all-around visibility, 

while delivering high-performance luminosity 

and a long service life. As an option, 

the ComfortClass S 407 can be equipped 

with a wheelchair lift. 

An environmentally friendly engine in 

two versions 

As does the TopClass S 417, the American 

S 407 CC newcomer fulfils American EPA 10 

emission standards (see box to the right). 

This is guaranteed by a Mercedes-Benz engine, 

which in combination with an Allison 

automatic transmission and a performance 

level of 306 kW/1,966 Nm, is available as 

standard. Optionally, the motorcoach can 

be equipped with an engine delivering a 

performance of 336 kW/2,100 Nm. For this 

higher-powered version, customers can 

choose between ZF AS-Tronic and Allison 

transmissions. 

The TopClass drives off to its new home 

in Canada 

The second vehicle, a TopClass S 417, found 

its new owner during the UMA: Trius Tours, 

the largest private Setra customer in Canada 

with a current fleet of 15 Setra motorcoaches. 

The 13.67 metre long TopClass 

S 417 is the first adapted Setra touring motorcoach 

for Canada. It is equipped with an 

integrated rear window and a TopSky glass 

roof, and offers room for 56 passengers. Its 

Mercedes-Benz OM 471 engine meets 

American EPA 10 emission standards. The 

Front Collision Guard ranks among its many 

advanced safety standards. 

US EPA emissions standard: 

a success story for Setra 

On January 1, 2010, the American Environmental 

Protection Agency drastically tightened 

the EPA emission standards’ threshold 

values for nitrogen oxide in the United 

States. As compared to the previous EPA 

07, nitrogen oxide levels had to be significantly 

reduced, and this entailed considerable 

technological challenges for all vehicle 

manufacturers. 

Setra was able to strongly capitalise on 

BlueTec® diesel technology and on the 

wealth of experience gained with the European 

vehicles which have been working 

with AdBlue since the introduction of 

EURO IV norms. With BlueTec®, an engine 

runs more efficiently, while particulate 

emissions and fuel consumption are considerably 

optimised. Here, Setra was successful 

at further reducing fuel consumption 

versus EPA 07 in spite of tightened 

emission controls. These developments are 

being very well received by Setra customers, 

and recent large orders from 

Screamline (six vehicles) and Academy Bus 

Lines in New Jersey (ten vehicles) bear witness 

to this fact. 

For more information on BlueTec® technology, 

you can also read the article on page 34 

“Only bike travel is more environmentally 

friendly”.

32 | Setra Family News Setra Family News | 33 

Setra book tip: 

“All aboard, please!” 

Klaus Axel Finken – hobby writer and Setra fan – has written a most entertaining 

book. Subline: “For risks and side-effects, consult your bus driver 

and tour guide.” 

ISBN: 978-3-8423-5106-6 

Kazakhstan – a Setra S 415 HD for the HC Barys hockey club: 

TopClass for TopTeams 

The HC Barys hockey club from Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, has successfully positioned itself 

in the Russian league. And now, a Setra S 415 HD drives the “snow leopards” from stadium to stadium. 

Klaus Axel Finken, born in 1967, has been 

driving Setra touring coaches since 1989. 

With his choice of career, he fulfilled a 

dream he had as a five-year-old. At the 

time, he had been seduced by the community 

school bus, a Setra S 9 with a Henschel 

engine and roof-edge glazing. Since then 

his passion for the Setra brand has done 

nothing but become stronger. In fact, he 

has never driven another brand – from the 

Setra S 211 HD in the driving school all the 

way through to today’s S 411 HD and S 416 

GT-HD. As seat belt regulations were introduced 

in 2006, Klaus Axel Finken started 

informing his guests with verses he wrote 

himself – with great success. That’s where 

he got the idea for his book “All aboard, 

please!”. It is an entertaining and humorous 

collection of anecdotes from his everyday 

life as a driver. And it makes one thing very 

clear: the fact that Mr Finken sees his work 

not only as a job, but as a real calling. 

A vintage Setra S 9 treasure: 

An old flame never dies 

As a child Wilhelm Meller was driven to school every day in a Setra S 9. Many years later, he made a 

wonderful discovery ... 

Even from a distance, ten-year old Wilhelm 

Meller could easily recognise and decipher 

the sound of a Setra S 9’s engine. The drive 

to school in a Setra was always the highlight 

of his day – it’s where he did his homework, 

experienced his first love, and took over the 

best seat at the back of the bus. Years later, 

as a professional bus operator, Wilhelm 

Meller met up with another operator who 

mentioned in passing that he still has an old 

Setra in his barn. Wilhelm’s curiosity was 

most definitely sparked. As he saw the old 

Setra S 9, he could hardly believe his eyes – 

his old school bus! And he knew right away: 

he had to have it. After much persuasion and 

over 2,000 hours of work, the Setra S 9 now 

shines with renewed splendour. And every 

time Wilhelm Meller drives it, whether to a 

celebration or a special event, memories of 

his childhood come to life. 

 

T 

he HC Barys club was founded in 

1999 and, since the 2008/09 

season, has been playing in one of 

three non-Russian teams in the continental 

hockey league (KHL), the highest possible 

Russian division. Teams from Kazakhstan, 

Latvia, Russia, and Belarus all play in the KHL. 

Spectacular design 

The new Setra S 415 HD team bus has 

much to offer the Kazakh 2008 and 2009 

champions, known as the “snow leopards”: 

49 seats with leather seating, an additional 

heater, and a truly spectacular looking 

coach. The coach, bearing the blue and 

white club colours, features a larger-thanlife 

snow leopard – the animal which is 

found on the club logo and is Kazakhstan’s 

national symbol. 

A perfect bus for top athletes 

Following its credo, “TopClass for Top- 

Teams”, Setra has succeeded at establishing 

itself in the world of sports as an exceptionally 

competent and reliable partner for 

outstanding performance and extraordinary 

standards of achievement. The HC 

Barys team became aware of the bus brand 

from Neu-Ulm through other Russian clubs 

with team coaches. The fact that the 

coaches adapt perfectly to the needs of top 

athletes was decisive for the Kazakhs as 

well. In fact, they are now seriously looking 

into the purchase of a second bus. 

A strong partnership 

HC Barys and the Setra sales team are 

proud of the excellent collaboration and are 

looking forward to future projects with the 

sports club. There is one person, however, 

who is even more delighted. And that is the 

“snow leopards” bus driver, who was the 

first driver from the Central Asian region to 

compete in this year’s Setra Grand Prix.


Travelling by bus: 

Only bike travel is more 

environmentally friendly 

Bus tours are the cleanest and most CO 2 

-efficient way to travel. Comparatively, coaches are way 

ahead of planes. And, they not only create less CO 2 

than cars, but also considerably less noise. Even 

trains cannot keep up with coaches in terms of their ecological balance sheet. 

V 

acations with a focus on environmental 

consideration are booming. 

An ever increasing number of 

Germans clearly give thought to taking vacations 

that are ecologically and socially 

responsible. Whether at “organic” hotels, 

sustainable resorts, or socially compatible 

holidays on the farm, eco-tourism is most 

definitely in. And with good reason. According 

to the World Tourism Organisation, the 

tourism industry, with its 900 million travellers 

a year, contributes as much as five percent 

of global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Environmental concerns certainly aren’t 

preventing the Germans from being the 

world’s most enthusiastic travellers. According 

to the WWF conservation organisation, 

each German produces a ton of carbon 

dioxide through travelling alone, compared 

to a quarter of a ton for the rest of the 

world. Factors such as arriving and departing, 

method of transportation on site, leisure 

activities, hotel and board, are mainly 

responsible for the poor ecological balance 

sheet. 

Departure and arrival make 

a big difference 

Arrivals and departures make up the lion’s 

share of these vacation emissions. Travelling 

in a bus represents the cleanest and 

most CO 2 

-efficient method of travel. And in 

fact, only bicycles carry passengers to their 

A single bus, with an average occupation rate, 

can replace up to 30 cars 

Photo: RVBW AG 

destination in a way that is even more environmentally 

friendly. A study conducted in 

2008 by the Heidelberg Institute of Energy 

and Environmental Research (ifeu) showed 

that an average bus traveller in Germany 

uses only 0.7 litres of diesel per 100 km, 

travelling by train approx. 1.2 litres and by 

car as much as 1.8 litres, i.e. as much as 

double. Flying, which requires seven times 

more energy for an identical route, leaves 

the most disastrous carbon footprint. 

Pollution reduction thanks to Euro norms 

It can be assumed that coaches will continue 

to achieve positive environmental balances 

in the future. An RDA projection for 

2015 estimates that even further reductions 

(partially over 80 %) of environmental 

pollution will be seen compared to 2007. 

Euro emission norms have significantly 

contributed to lowering particulate matter 

(PM) and nitrogen oxide emissions. Since 

the introduction of Euro norm standards in 

1990, particulate matter emissions from 

coaches have been reduced from 1.1 (Euro 

0) to 0.03 (Euro V) or even 0.02 (voluntary 

RRV standard) grams per kilowatt-hour. In 

the case of nitrogen oxide, there has been a 

reduction from 14.4 to 2.0 g/kWh. 

BlueTec® as key technology 

Setra has always been state-of-the-art in 

this regard as well. As early as in 2006, the 

first coaches with Euro V were available, 

and since 2007 all coaches are offered in 

Euro V versions. BlueTec® diesel technology 

g CO 2 

-equivalent/Seat-km 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Touring bus 

is a key component to fulfilling current and 

future emission and “immission” requirements. 

BlueTec® offers the best of both worlds: an 

efficient, high-performance engine, which 

optimises particle emissions and consumption, 

and an SCR system (Selective Catalytic 

Reduction), which achieves NOx reduction. 

Furthermore, Setra offers a solution 

with or without a particle filter, to voluntarily 

achieve even lower EEV standard values. 

The most stringent environmental policies 

regarding procurement and maintenance 

Car* Train** Inland flight*** 

According to projections for 2015 regarding expected greenhouse emissions, 

the bus will easily defend its leading position versus trains, planes, and cars 

Source: ifeu Heidelberg 2009 

*Petrol engine **> 200 km/h ***Distance 500 km 

are therefore fulfilled, while long-term access 

to large European cities is secured. 

On request, Setra’s low-entry bus can even 

receive “Blue Angel” environmental certification. 

An independent jury came to the 

conclusion that this meets with criteria 

along the entire value chain, e.g. through 

low noise emissions, non-use of ozonedepleting 

substances, and others. 

An environmentally sound value chain 

It takes more than simply state-of-the-art 

drive technology to create an environmentally 

friendly bus. If the objective is to be 

“Best in Class”, environmental protection 

needs to be acknowledged and considered 

in all areas of production. This applies not 

only to the vehicles themselves, but to the 

entire value chain. 

Bearing all this in mind, at the Setra plant in 

Neu-Ulm, site-related environmental protection 

is practiced, whereby for instance, 

the exhaust heat produced through the 

generation of compressed air is used to 

heat the assembly halls. As well, the new 

administrative building is supplied with environmentally 

compatible panel heating and 

regenerative geothermal energy to ensure a 

comfortable room climate.


Setra Highlight | 37 

A look behind the scenes: 

The birth of a luxury coach 

One of the special-edition models Setra is introducing to the market in the context of its 60 th anniversary 

is going to the Hummel company in Kirchzarten. SetraFamily followed the coach’s production 

process, documenting the highlights for you. 

The Setra special-edition TopClass: 

Coveted coach models 

For its 60 th anniversary, a limited, special-edition series of luxury Setra coaches is available. The 

TopClass 400 models feature metallic paint finishes, exclusive equipment details, and staggered seating. 

F 

or years, the Setra TopClass has 

embodied unmatched comfort, 

customised luxury, outstanding 

safety, and innovative technology. With its 

new special-edition models, Setra has even 

managed to exceed this standard of excellence, 

bringing together supreme expertise 

in coach engineering with reminders of the 

legendary Kässbohrer success story. 

Something very special at first glance 

At the CustomerCenter in Neu-Ulm, visitors 

are welcomed by two impressive specialedition 

demonstration models with “snowflake” 

designs. The refined, white pearl 

metallic finish wraps the Setras in an aura 

of elegance and exclusivity. Of course, the 

special-edition coaches can also be produced 

in any colour the customer would 

like. Passengers are bound to enjoy the 

luxurious Voyage Plus seats, which are 

staggered by 6 cm to the front, enabling 

more space in the shoulder area, as well as 

an enhanced view to the side. The interior 

of the TopClass 400 features a series of 

lovingly executed details such as the 

traditional Kässbohrer logo on the hubcaps, 

steering wheel, and porcelain vase at the 

A column, paying an attractive tribute to 

Setra’s early years. The instrument panel 

and steering wheel are available in matt 

black or matt brown, with bird’s eye maple 

finish inserts. The driver and tour guide’s 

seats are designed to suit. 

A heritage of safety 

This special coach edition has much more 

to offer than outstanding exclusivity. With 

the Adaptive Cruise Control (ART) and 

Active Brake Assist (ABA) features, it also 

gives passengers the greatest possible 

safety à la Setra. And, of course, the 

special-edition coaches can be optionally 

equipped with additional safety systems, 

such as the Electronic Stability Programme 

(ESP®), Brake Assist (BA), and Lane Assist 

(SPA). 

Anniversary package in the cockpit 

The exclusive anniversary models are 

available for all TopClass coaches. Since 

their very first presentation at the Setra- 

Show in Neu-Ulm, many have found proud 

owners. A plaque in the cockpit identifies 

the special-edition series number. The 

number 1 and, of course, the number 60, 

the special 60-year anniversary plaque, are 

especially coveted. 

 

S 415 HD equipment – 

at a glance: 

• Red, retro-style K logo on hubcaps and 

leather steering wheel 

• Porcelain vase on the A column with red 

K logo 

• Staggered (6 cm) Voyage Plus seating 

• Instrument panel and leather steering wheel 

with decorative bird’s eye maple inserts 

• Adaptive Cruise control (ART) with Active 

Brake Assist (ABA) 

• Illuminated Setra logo at the front entrance 

• Plaque in the cockpit area with the specialedition 

series number 

• 60-year logo on sides, front, and rear 

• iPod connection and USB interface 

I 

n 1929, company founder Rudolf 

Hummel laid the cornerstone for a 

firm that today travels through all of 

Europe with 13 Setra touring coaches and 

line-haul buses. Way back then, passengers 

were transported in trucks which had been 

rebuilt into “buses”. 

A Setra customer right from the beginning 

The seventh Setra S 8 ever built went to the 

Hummel company in 1952. Rudolf Hummel 

had seen a drawing of the self-supporting 

construction concept and was so impressed 

that he immediately ordered one. 

He saw this construction approach as 

embodying the future of bus design – as 

well as the future of his company. Today, 

Hummel operates a Setra fleet comprising 

13 coaches and buses. 

Part of the Setra family 

Along with the more tangible facts, such as 

resale value, reliability, cost-effectiveness, 

and safety, a positive business partnership 

is in the foreground for Werner Hummel, his 

wife and sons: “You do business with a company 

and its people over many decades, you 

identify closely with the product and 

develop very close contacts in all areas.” 

Special-edition S 411 HD 

With its purchase of a 60-year specialedition 

model, the Hummel company is 

ideally positioned to offer its customers 

only five-star coach travel from now on. 

The new TopClass D 411 HD will be used in 

European touring applications. The fact that 

he once again chose to invest in a Setra 

was a given for Werner Hummel: “Reliability 

and safety are the most important factors 

in this business. Setra is and will always be 

a top-quality product.” 

From a shell to a full-fledged coach 

As with any Setra, the bodyshell is the platform 

for a special-edition coach. Cathodic 

dip painting (KTL) is an electrochemical 

process whereby the bodyshell is coated in 

an electrically conductive immersion bath. 

A closed film of coating is thus created on 

the surface of the bodyshell. The KTL 

process results in a uniform coating of all 

metal surfaces and cavities, with excellent 

surface qualities and long-term resistance 

to rust. This is how the cornerstone for the 

exceptionally long service life of the new 

S 411 HD is set. 

The Hummel company’s special-edition,


A vintage Setra S 150: 

Forever Setra! 

A wonderful love story: Frank W. Uhlig (60) from Darmstadt and his 40 year old Setra S 150 have 

been inseparable over the last two years. 

It all began on eBay, when Frank W. Uhlig 

bought a Setra S 150 for 8,850 Euros from 

its previous owner in Switzerland. From 

that moment on, the two have been travelling 

together everywhere, most often with 

Frank’s wife Gisela and their son Jonas. 

Early last year, they journeyed to bitter-cold 

central Sweden. “It’s really fascinating how 

quickly this Henschel engine starts with the 

press of a button at temperatures of minus 

15 degrees. No pre-heating, no grinding, it 

just starts – immediately. Fantastic. The quality 

is amazing still today!”, comments Frank 

Uhlig, full of praise for his loyal travelling companion. 

The original 6-cylinder engine has 

already covered 850,000 kilometres, but you 

would never know it. Even the Eberspächer 

auxiliary heating still runs like clockwork. 

The dream team has been to Portugal as 

well – a further 6,500 kilometres which the 

vintage Setra mastered without a glitch. 

Recently, the two went on a spin to Costa 

Brava. What’s next? “We’ll see”, Uhlig grins, 

“we’ll be travelling until one of us no longer 

can.” 

 

“naked” model then takes its very first 

trip by train from Mannheim to Neu-Ulm, 

where the S 411 HD’s body is treated to a 

top coat. This takes place in the paint 

finishing line. Two painting robots are used 

for the structural paints and the two unicolour 

paints specific to the Hummel 

coach. The special-edition coach is slowly 

taking shape. 

Meanwhile, in the pre-assembly department, 

the powertrain, comprising an engine, 

transmission, and alternators, is completed. 

It is then transported to the bodyshell in a 

lift truck and assembled. Now we have a 

very special model with a “heart”. 

As a next step, the wheels are mounted to 

the Hummel TopClass coach with the help 

of a lifting device. The coach is then lifted 

from the raised assembly system and from 

here on, it stands on its own wheels. From 

the outside, the special-edition Hummel 

coach is very imposing. And now, it’s time 

to work on the interior which was also conceived 

to suit the tastes of its future owner. 

Before proceeding to seat assembly, all 

bulky components such as air ducts, 

lavatory cabin, and on-board kitchen are 

assembled. Using a specially developed 

conveyor, the Voyage Supreme recliners in 

cognac-coloured leather and Dinamica 

dark-brown accents are brought into the 

S 411 HD through the windshield opening, 

where they are taken on by two fitters and 

mounted in staggered double-seats. The 

same takes place with seats facing each 

other in the seating unit. The coach is now 

becoming more and more comfortable. 

There is one very important missing part: 

the windshield, with which the assembly 

process is almost complete. Electrical 

testing, an air conditioning test run, quality 

control, and finishing are next. To check the 

speedometer and brakes, the S 411 HD is 

put through brake testing via an automated 

program. Then, all measured values are 

recorded in the comprehensive assembly 

documentation. 

The coach then receives its customised 

lettering. And finally, the newest member of 

the Hummel fleet is ready to take on the 

first journey of its long service life – with 

the Hummel company in Kirchzarten, 

Germany. 

 

Prague – Setra Forum for next-generation operators: 

Dialogue with young bus operators 

40 young bus operators from nine European countries met at the Young Bus Operators (YBO) Forum 

to share information, experiences, and thoughts. 

It was the 11 th meeting of the Young Bus 

Operators (YBO), an initiative Setra brought 

to life in 2000 to promote international dia- 

logue between young bus operators. Since 

then, Setra has been organising the Forum 

yearly, where the YBOs are informed on relevant 

topics and have an opportunity to 

share experiences with their peers from 

around the world. At this year’s Forum, the 

next generation of bus operators will be focusing 

on “Generation change” with seminars 

and workshops addressing the topic of 

transferring the company from ‘senior’ to 

‘junior’ management. 

For Lothar Holder, Head of Sales Setra 

Buses and Coaches EvoBus GmbH, this 

Forum is also of great benefit to the Setra 

brand itself: “Through the Setra Young Bus 

Operators initiative, we are always at the 

cutting edge of current developments. We 

find out about the issues facing the future 

generation of operators and we can ideally 

prepare for them.” 

The YBOs make use of this unique crossborder 

network for a lot more than just exchanging 

information. Many international 

friendships have come to be, whereby 

members get together, have fun, and support 

each other wherever they can – just 

like in a true family.


Setra Highlight | 41 

Great marks in the readers’ survey: 

Thank you, dear readers! 

In the previous issue of the SetraFamily magazine, we invited our readers to take part in a survey and 

we thank everyone for their constructive feedback. 

ver 80 percent of the participants in 

O our survey gave the SetraFamily excellent 

marks. And we are delighted with 

this positive feedback! The mix of short 

news and longer articles seems to be right 

and the SetraFamily is most often read by 

several people in all companies. Your excellent 

marks are not, however, reason for us 

to sit back on our laurels. We will be incorporating 

your input on topics, article length, 

and design into our future magazines – in 

view of continuously improving and meeting 

your needs even more closely. For this reason, 

we would be pleased if you kept providing 

us with your suggestions. 

We congratulate the winners of the digital 

camera, the bus models, and Setra art 

calendars! 

 

Welcome to the Setra Family 

Austria: Dietmar Zellinger GmbH, Offenhausen • Gitschtal Reisen Wistian GmbH, Weißbriach • Kerngast-Reisen GmbH, Mettersdorf am 

Saßbach • Lorenz Wilhelmer Autobusunternehmen, St. Lorenzen • Montafonerbahn AG, Schruns • Schlatzer Georg Autobusunternehmen, 

Puch bei Weiz • Belgium: De Strycker, Lokeren • Feyen, Malmedy • Canada: Divine Transportation/Michelangelo-Phoenix, AZ • 

San Joaquin/Delta College - Stockton, CA • Transportation Charter - Orange, CA • France: Couchouron, Alzonne • Lolli, Douai • Notte, 

Roncq • Place, Trith-Saint-Leger • Verdie, Rodez • Germany: Albrecht Ollet, Ahorntal • Andreas Pohle Omnibusbetrieb, Marsberg • 

Bohr Omnibus GmbH, Lautzenhausen • Bottenschein Reisen, Ehingen • Bustouristik Herbert, Nabburg • Deniffel Busunternehmen, 

Obergünzburg • Diekena, Upgant-Schott • Dietsche, Bonndorf • Gansneder Busreisen GmbH & Co. KG, Weilheim • Gerstmayr Reisen, 

Amerdingen • Graf Recke, Schacht-Audorf • Heiss Reisen, Landshut • Hieltscher-Reisen, Inh. Edeltraud Hieltscher, Waltrop • Höffmann, 

Vechta • Hubert Pointner, Staudach-Egerndach • Individualreisen Koch, Deligsen • Josef Haberl, Wallerfing • Kienberger FinanzierungsGbR, 

Thierhaupten • Klefenz, Waldshut-Tiengen • Klumpp, Baiersbronn • Lange, Niederstotzingen • Lenhard, Sandberg • Louis, Reilingen • 

Ludwig Metz, Sennfeld • Fa. Lust, Höchst • Müller, Birkenfeld • Nette-Reisen, Burgstädt • Omnibus Pletl, Nürnberg • Omnibusbetrieb 

Herzum, Korbußen • Omnibusunternehmen Gottfried Beck, Bischofwerda • Optima-Tours, Munich • Peitinger Omnibusse Koch, Peiting • 

Peter Rapp Busreisen, Kammeltal-Ettenbeuren • Pfeil-Reisen, Hohenstein • Pussack, Syke • Rainer Halbasch Omnibusunternehmen, 

Lieberose • Retours, Hannover • Schlienz-Tours, Esslingen • Seifert, Scheinfeld • StarsVivendi, Sindelfingen • Wagenhäuser Erlebnisreisen, 

Hofheim • Walz, Langenbrand • Weber, Bellheim • Kazakhstan: HC Barys, Astana • Liechtenstein: Liechtensteiner Bus Anstalt, 

Vaduz • Philipp Schädler, Triesenberg • Luxembourg: Centre de Formation pour Conducteurs S.A., Colmar-Berg • Poland: Przewozowo- 

Handlowo-Usugowa, Krosno • Romania: Alpina Tours SRL, Bistrita • Slovenia: Rizana, Koper • Spain: Autocares Reboredo, S.L., La 

Coruna • Autocares Troncoso, S.L., Salseda Casel • Autocares Vila Betriu, S.L., Organya • Autos Grabanxa, S. L., Oroso • Jesus Maria 

Villar Saez de Ibarra, Orio • Transports Electics Interurban, S.A., Gerona • Sweden: Abramssons, Gräsmyr • Åkerlund, Kolsva • 

Br Högsberg, Fjärdhundra • Ceris Resor, Timrå • Dackebuss, Långasjö • Engströms Buss, Strömsund • Kiviksbuss, Kivik• Molund, 

Östersund • Nittorp, Nittorp • Österlen, Ystad • Samuelssons, Alingsaes • Sjöström, Vännäs • Skillingmark, Skillingfors • Strandbergs, 

Falkenberg • Sydbuss, Ystad • Umeå Direkt Buss AB, Umeå • Veddige, Veddige • Switzerland: HelveCie, Satigny • Philipp Wieland 

Personentransporte, Courgevaux • Rösli Reisen AG, Winterthur • UK: CAB Executive Travel, Goole • Moving People, Lancashire • USA: 

Atlanta Shuttle - Fayetteville, GA • Coach Ride - Starkville, MS • Cross Tours - Penn Laird, VA • Daniels Tours - Lula, GA • Divine Performing 

Arts - Cuddebackville, NY • Eastern - New York, NY • Forever Yours Tour - Brooklyn, NY • Gotta Go Trailways - Ft. Worth, TX • Lorvel 

Express Tours - Menasha, WI • Mayo Tours - West Monroe, LA • MBT Worldwide - Plaistow, NH • Travel Plaza - Honolulu, HI • University 

of Virginia - Charlottesville, VA • Village/KSA - Southwest Ranches, FL 

Two luxury touring coaches for BBS Travel: 

Coach “jewels” of exquisite quality 

With 250 guests and a festive unveiling ceremony, BBS Travel, Setra’s long-term customer from Günzburg, 

celebrated its taking over two luxurious S 415 HD touring coaches at the Setra CustomerCenter. 

F 

or BBS’s managing director, Josef 

Brandner, the two new luxury 

coaches from the TopClass 400 

series, with glass roof and 2+1 seating, 

beautifully express his company’s new slogan 

‘Jewel Travel’: “Offering a customised 

travel experience is extremely important to 

us and this is something that our new 

‘jewels’ achieve beautifully. With Setra, right 

from the beginning we knew we could count 

on a partner with high-level expertise who 

would succeed in bringing new ideas to life 

with us.” And Setra is just as enthusiastic 

about its relationship with BBS Travel, as 

Heinz Friedrich, Senior Manager for Private 

Setra Customers in Germany, asserted at 

the ceremony: “With BBS Travel we have 

enjoyed a successful partnership over several 

years, one that is strongly forged by 

trust and reliability.” 

Luxurious 2+1 seating 

Along with customised equipment, such as 

wood floors, passenger comfort is of utmost 

importance to the company from Günzburg. 

This is generously demonstrated in the 2+1 

seating with leather trim, which delivers the 

30 passengers (max.) ample arm and leg 

room. The luxury concept extends to the 

coaches’ technology as well, with their advanced 

active and passive safety systems, 

such as the Adaptive Cruise Control feature 

(ART) in combination with Active Brake 

Assist (ABA), Lane Assist (SPA) and Front 

Collision Guard, which facilitates the driver’s 

task while significantly reducing the danger 

of accidents. 

BBS Travel’s multifaceted offering for 

touring and scheduled services 

BBS Brandner Bus Schwaben is a familyrun 

group of companies which began its 

operations back in 1926 with line haul services. 

Just a few years later, the first group 

tours were organised. Today, under Josef 

Brandner’s leadership, the company is active 

in several areas of business, including 

coach tours, group tours, class trips, charters, 

line haul, “Flexibus” – line haul on reservation, 

as well as travel agencies for bus, 

air, and sea travel.



15 Setra S 415 UL coaches for Medenbach Traffic: 

Pan-European tender goes to a private 

firm in the German Hesse region 

With its purchase of 15 Setra S 415 UL coaches, the family-run Medenbach Traffic company in 

Weilburg in the Hesse region made the largest investment in the company’s 50-year history. 

For the Hessian company, 

this purchase 

represents a true 

milestone and is the 

result of a qualityoriented 

investment 

strategy. Managing 

director Peter Medenbach 

underlines his 

high standards to offer 

his passengers 

comfortable, safe, and reliable transportation: 

“In order to deliver high-level services 

and public transit, our decision favoured 

Setra coaches, which fulfil our standards of 

quality entirely.” The selection was preceded 

by a pan-European tendering process 

through which the family-run organisation 

secured two local line bundles in the Taunus 

area. 

 

Portugal – VPL expands its Setra fleet: 

“Never change a winning team!” 

VPL, Viagens Póvoa de Lanhoso, Lda, operates line haul services from Portugal to Switzerland. The 

company relies on four Setra coaches and this, not only on its long-distance routes. 

VPL is a family-run business with 20 employees 

and a fleet of six coaches, four of 

which are from Setra. In Switzerland, VPL 

operates two S 431 DT coaches with 79 

and 83 seats, Ambiente seating, and a glass 

roof. “Setra’s distinctive design, top-of-theline 

safety features, and unmatched comfort 

play a key role in our decision to invest 

in Setra again and again”, comments Melchior 

Nunes, VPL’s managing director in 

Portugal. “These very unique Setra qualities 

deliver significant benefits vis à vis our 

competition.” 

The company’s goal is to fully capitalise on 

these benefits. In line with its credo “Never 

change a winning team!”, Melchior Nunes 

intends to further expand its Setra fleet 

through the end of 2012, at which point it 

will include only Setra coaches. Recently, 

the process was initiated with the purchase 

of a pre-owned Setra S 417 HDH, which 

was picked up at the UsedVehicleCenter in 

Neu-Ulm. The purchase of a Setra S 416 

GT-HD/2 is also planned for this year. 

And, should VPL’s business expectations 

be reached, a Setra 

S 431 DT will be added 

to the fleet by 

the end of 2011. 

Over the past 15 

years, VPL and Evo- 

Bus Portugal have 

been enjoying a close 

partnership. VPL became 

a Setra customer 

soon after its 

foundation, with the 

purchase of a preowned 

S 216 HDS bus. The success that 

VPL has experienced over the years with 

its Setra coaches has resulted in a strongly 

felt trust in the brand which continues 

to this day. 

 

Painting contest for kids: 

Young design talent wanted! 

Do you like painting? Do you like coaches? Are you also a Setra fan? Then it’s time to participate in 

Setra’s painting contest and to come up with your own Setra design! 

Maybe you already have an idea for designing 

your favourite bus. In this issue of the Setra- 

Family, you’ll find a painting template you can 

use as a take-off point to let your fantasy 

take flight. The most beautiful designs will 

win great prizes. 

You could win: 

1 x Aiptek Media Tablet 14000U 

Graphic tablet 

An exclusive graphic board for fast, professional 

creation of illustrations, drawings, 

industrial designs, photos, and Web designs. 

5 x Staedtler ergo soft colour pencils 

157/157 SB24, 24 sorted colour pencils 

with ergonomic triangular design and soft, 

colour-intense leads, for relaxed writing 

and colouring. 

5 x 365 ideas for painting and drawing 

A book full of ideas, for 365 days a year, 

with easy step-by-step instructions for artistic 

painting and drawing – an absolute 

must for creative families. 

So get inspired – ready, set, go! 

Closing deadline is 08-31-2011. 

Conditions for participation: All painted pictures sent in by 08-31-2011. will be entered in the contest. Winners will be notified in writing. Children of EvoBus employees may not participate in the contest. Cash prize payment 

is not possible. Legal recourse is excluded.



Allgäu-Orient Rally: 

To the Orient for a great cause 

On April 30, with the 6 th Allgäu-Orient Rally, “one of the last automotive adventures in the world” 

started. Only vehicles that are at least 20 years old and cost less than 1,111.11 Euros can participate. 

The use of speedways and navigation devices are taboo. And, for the very first time, a bus is participating: 

a Setra S 215 SL. 

I 

t’s 14 years old, drives up to 90 km/h 

at the most, has already covered 

900,000 km and was until recently 

still active in scheduled service applications. 

Its purchase price: 1,100 Euros. At 

the end of April, the Setra S 215 SL left on 

its 6,000 km journey to Jordan. For all 666 

participants who departed from Oberstaufen, 

it’s all about fulfilling a humanitarian 

mandate in each country visited. 

Along with the Setra bus, 322 cars, 2 trucks, 

6 motorcycles, and 4 ambulances and vehicles 

for disabled people took part in the Rally. 

Participating teams could select their own 

route. However, in Istanbul, Salamiya, Damascus, 

at the Jordanian border, and in desertlike 

Wadi Rum, there are meeting points 

where the entire convoy comes together. 

The United Nations (UN) as main partner 

The Rally’s primary purpose is a charitable 

one, as well as contact with other cultures. 

For this reason the UN is a very special partner, 

in that its World Food Program receives 

the revenues generated through entry fees, 

sponsors as well as the sale of participating 

vehicles at the end of the event. Whoever 

best fulfills the various tasks (e.g. collecting 

a stamped postcard from every country), 

and arrives at the final destination without 

any failures, wins. The prize: a camel. 

Humanitarian assignments 

In Amman, the vehicles are given over to the 

UN’s World Food Program who sells them, 

and revenues are then redirected to various 

aid projects. Over and above fulfilling a 

sense of adventure, the humanitarian aspect 

was a key motivating factor for Martin 

Göggelmann and Frank Holthaus to participate 

in the Rally: “Our loyal Setra will most 

probably be used in Amman as a school 

bus, and I can’t imagine a better use for it. 

Also, each team was responsible for bringing 

along a used sewing machine as a donation 

to a women’s home in Syria.” The winners 

will take receipt of the camel in person 

on May 16 in Amman. And of course, like 

everything else associated with the Allgäu- 

Orient Rally, it will also be donated to the 

Bedouins on location. This year’s winning 

team will not have to make it home on camelback, 

but rather by plane. 

The route the Setra bus will be taking can 

be followed at the www.ulmerspatzenbus.de 

website – assuming of course that participants 

will be able to update the blog along 

the way. 

 

With Setra into the desert for a good cause. EvoBus employee Martin Göggelmann (seated 2nd front right) with the Rally team

46 | Setra Premium Service 

Setra Premium Service | 47 

The OMNIplus service brand: 

What‘s new on the Web? 

There is a lot going on with OMNIplus, the EvoBus service brand. Country-specific Internet pages are 

being updated and the European ServiceNetwork is being further expanded. 

Setra distributor in the Baltic region – M.E.LAT-LUX SIA: 

A Latvian success story 

Whether a torn V-belt, a clamped pulley, defective air conditioning, electronic problems or a broken 

door lock, the M.E.LAT-LUX SIA Setra distributor in Cesis in Northern Latvia is ready to help – around 

the clock. 

W 

hether on home ground or 

beyond borders, Setra customers 

know they can always 

count on the OMNIplus bus-specific support 

and service package. OMNIplus not 

only serves them well on the road, but also 

virtually, i.e. online, with freshly updated 

country websites. The new design is clearer 

and more user-friendly than ever. Users can 

simply select their country through the 

common landing page: www.omniplus.com. 

The updated Internet sites for Germany, 

Austria, and Sweden are now running online. 

The sites for EvoBus subsidiaries in 

Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, 

Finland, France, Hungary, Spain, Italy, the 

Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Romania, 

Poland, Greece, and the UK will follow 

throughout 2011. 

New service points in Eastern Europe 

Europe’s largest ServiceNetwork is continuously 

being improved on, and not only 

on the Internet. Network expansion in Eastern 

Europe, including Poland, the Czech 

Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Russia, and in 

the Baltic region is progressing quickly. In 

2006, there were 24 service points and 

now there are 46 of them, including 13 in 

Poland. Two of the service points in Poland 

and the Czech Republic are EvoBus-operated 

service points. 

One reason for the speedy expansion into 

Eastern Europe is the growing number of 

vehicles in East European markets, which 

ensures the necessary economic platform 

to implement the high OMNIplus quality 

standards. And, since East European countries 

are increasingly popular as travel 

destinations, Setra customers from all over 

Europe will greatly profit from the expanded 

service offering. 

 

Aftersales director Albert Wilde (left) 

with Frank Koschatzky, the president of EvoBus Polska 

T 

he Latvian coach tour operation 

with its affiliated bus dealer, 

founded in 1992, clearly reflects 

the positive growth trend for the bus sector 

in Eastern Europe. Before the business 

started selling Setra coaches, there were 

only 20 Setra vehicles registered in all of 

Latvia. It took a lot of hard work to achieve 

a break-through. And they did! Collaboration 

with EvoBus was a logical next step and in 

1999 the contract was extended to include 

Estonia and Lithuania, giving M.E.LAT-LUX 

SIA distributor status for the Baltic region. 

During this time, over 100 new Setra 

coaches as well as close to 400 pre-owned 

Setra buses have found a new home in the 

region. And the company now employs a 

staff of 30. Furthermore, the adjacent property 

has just been purchased where a new 

building with a testing hall, painting facility, 

and washing bay will be located. 

Close collaboration with EvoBus 

To ensure that the distributor’s technical 

expertise is kept up to par, employees from 

M.E.LAT-LUX SIA regularly attend training 

sessions at the EvoBus Training Centre in 

Ulm. The knowledge acquired is then communicated 

in-house as well as to other 

service points and customers in the Baltic 

region. M.E.LAT-LUX SIA’s 24-hour service 

can be reached around the clock by phone, 

enabling immediate contact with the driver 

in the case of a breakdown. A service shop 

sprinter with replacement parts and special 

tools is also on hand. More extensive support 

is available as well. If, for instance, a 

bus’s windshield breaks and a replacement 

isn’t in stock, M.E.LAT-LUX SIA will prepare 

a temporary Plexiglas windshield, so that 

the customer can at least pursue his journey. 

The original windshield will then be 

sent from Neu-Ulm by air freight and can be 

installed the next day. This is how M.E.LAT- 

LUX SIA has been successful in delivering 

its very extensive service offering – so that 

a journey to the Baltic region can also become 

a success story for everyone.



Imken takes over seven new Setra TopClass 400 coaches: 

Setra – highly coveted even after 55 years 

It is most definitely a year for anniversaries. Setra’s relationship with the Imken company, located in 

Wiefelstede in Lower Saxony, began exactly 55 years ago. In 1956, the company which was founded 

in 1945 purchased its very first Setra, an S 6. 

E 

xecutive director Horst Imken 

remembers his first encounter with 

the legendary Setra S 6 well: “When 

I saw the club bus for the very first time, 

that was it for me. The self-supporting Setra 

was unlike any of the coaches we had ever 

had and it quickly became the most popular 

in our family and with our passengers.” 

Over the last 55 years of its relationship 

with Setra, the Imken company has bought 

a total of 82 new vehicles for its fleet from 

the Neu-Ulm manufacturer. Other coach 

brands simply don’t have a chance with 

the company founder’s grandchildren, Olaf 

Imken, now managing director, and Birte 

Imken-Fandrey, responsible for the tourism 

division: “Setra coaches are unquestionably 

the ultimate as far as touring coaches are 

concerned. Setra is way ahead in terms of 

quality and technological innovation. But it’s 

ultimately Setra’s unmatched value retention 

and high resale value which are the 

decisive factors for us.” 

It’s no wonder that the touring coaches are 

traded in every five years at Imken. This is 

done to ensure that the company is always 

up to date in terms of emission classes and 

environmental zones. These new highly 

equipped Setra coaches – five S 416 HDH, 

an S 415 HDH, and a S 417 HDH – also deliver 

Imken’s passengers and drivers the 

utmost in comfort and are destined to soon 

become the passengers’ favourites, just like 

the Setra S 6 no less than 55 years ago. 

A new trend in Poland – pilgrimage travel: 

Travel like a King 

The Polish Vip-Palm touring company from Izbicko in the Silesian region is now offering cultural tours and 

pilgrimages to Poland. A tour highlight is the newly renovated castle in Strzelce Opolskie. 

In 1963, Horst Imken picked up his third S 6 personally in Ulm. At the time, the bus cost 56,014 German marks and was one of the last in its class to be built. The new “saddle 

painting” process, developed in house at the Kässbohrer plant, and introduced especially for the S 10 series in 1963, was something very special indeed for this unforgettable S 6 

P 

ilgrimages are back in style. The 

Palm company, founded in 1989, 

is capitalising on the trend with 

tours from Germany and Austria to Poland. 

Passengers include mostly church groups, 

clubs, and individuals who are interested in 

cultural travel. 

The first ever Germany-Poland line 

In its first year of operation, Palm was the 

first German company to initiate scheduled 

services between Germany and Poland. 

The company owner, Hubert Palm, opted 

for Setra right from the beginning: “My first 

Setra was an S 215 HD. I could see immediately 

that Setra was the ultimate coach 

brand. Our customers are simply delighted 

with the travel comfort Setra delivers.” 

Today, Palm drives a ComfortClass S 417 

GT-HD with 57 seats, air conditioning, 

video, minibar, and lavatory. The purchase 

of a TopClass S 417 HDH is currently 

planned, with an elegant ‘ambiance’ to suit 

the travel destinations. 

Pilgrimage tours with castle charm 

In 2003, Palm bought the Izbicko Castle 

with over 120 beds in Southern Poland’s 

Stubendorf. This was the take-off point for 

the “Cultural travel and pilgrimages to Poland” 

program (www.palacizbicko.pl). In the 

Setra coach, travellers journey to Poland’s 

most well known pilgrimage site, Czestochowa 

(Tschenstochau), where an image 

of the Black Madonna and the Jasna Góra 

monastery attracts believers from around 

the world. A further highlight for pilgrims is 

the drive to Wadowice where they can visit 

Pope John Paul II’s home and even taste his 

favourite sweet, the ‘kremówki’. Yet another 

significant destination in the touring 

program is Saint Annaberg with the Holy 

Anna Basilica. With city excursions to Breslau, 

Krakow, and Wieliczka (Salzberg), those 

travellers interested in culturally oriented 

tours get their money’s worth as well.



T 

he Santiago de Compostela cathedral, 

where the apostle Jacob’s 

grave is located, has been attracting 

pilgrims from all around the world for 

close to 1,000 years. And especially during 

the Xacobeo, or Holy Year of Jacob, which is 

declared when the anniversary of his death 

falls on a Sunday. It is believed that whoever 

visits the apostle’s grave during the 

Xacobeo is forgiven for all their sins. 2010 

was such a year, and Santiago de Compostela 

set a historic record. At least 270,000 

people made the pilgrimage to Northern 

Spain. During the previous Xacobeo in 2004, 

90,000 visited Santiago de Compostela. 

A very special presentation 

This time, the many pilgrims from the world 

over were offered an unusual sight. And, 

thanks to a special authorisation, Autocares 

Mosquera set a highlight in the company’s 

history. In the context of the Xacobeo, 

the company was allowed to present 

its new Setra S 416 HDH on the main 

square, the Plaza del Obradoiro. 

Outstanding passenger service 

Since the wellbeing of its passengers is so 

important to the company, the new Setra 

was equipped with the latest in safety and 

comfort features, making it very unique in 

all of Spain. Autocares Mosquera offers a 

wide spectrum of services including travel, 

conferences, excursions as well as school 

and sports trips. In Santiago de Compostela, 

Mosquera serves several intercity lines 

between San Roque and Aríns. 

Spain – a new S 416 HDH for Autocares Mosquera: 

A Setra pilgrimage 

In 2010, Spain celebrated Xacobeo, the Holy Year of Jacob. More followers than ever joined the 

pilgrimage along Jacob’s Path to the Santiago de Compostela cathedral. Also of note: Autocares 

Mosquera was allowed to present its new Setra S 416 HDH in Compostela’s main square.

Number 47 | Issue 1/11 - Setra

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