Mercedes-Benz Bus History - Daimler

But that was not possible without a special chassis. Its frame cranked
downwards behind the front axle and then continued on straight to the
rear. At the rear it made an upward bend again to create the
necessary space for the rear axle. The reward for this effort was that
the floor was now just 670 millimeters above the roadway.
A board divided the entrance into two steps of a little more than 300
millimeters: that would be entirely acceptable for a regular service bus
even today.
But the low frame afforded a number of other advantages. For
example, the lower center of gravity which this means improved
vehicle behavior. Which in turn distinctly enhanced both comfort and
safety mainly on interurban coaches with heavily laden roof luggage
racks. A brochure of the period put this advantage in a nutshell: “As a
result of the low position of the body, the vehicle runs more smoothly
and rocks less than a bus of conventional high design.” On top of that,
buses with the low frame and a correspondingly lower slung body do
not appear so stilted and look far more elegant than their
counterparts. This optical break with the truck was a most welcome
distinguishing feature for the new industry of passenger
transportation.
The bus emancipates itself from the truck
Emancipation included a characteristic long wheelbase, which in turn
made it possible for almost all passenger seats to lie between the
axles, where seating is most comfortable. This had the further effect
that the body generally had to endure less strain. And this provided
the opportunity to go over to a generally more lightweight design
“which has a favorable influence on tire wear and fuel consumption,”
as a 1925 brochure told the customers.
Daimler Communications, 70546 Stuttgart/Germany
Page 8