Setra

:"Setra may also mean [http://www.setra.com Setra Systems] , a manufacturer of pressure transducers and scales based in Boxborough, Massachusetts.":"Setra may also mean [http://www.setragroup.se Setra Group] , Sweden’s largest wood products company."Setra is an Neu-Ulm, Germany-based manufacturer of commercial buses and touring coaches, and recently a subsidiary of Daimler AG.

The name 'Setra' comes from "Selbsttragend" (self supporting). This refers to the integral nature of the construction of the vehicles back in the 1950s when competitor vehicles still featured a separate chassis and body (often manufactured by separate companies). It is also possible that, with an eye to export markets, the company was mindful that for non-German speakers, the name 'Kässbohrer' is difficult to pronounce. Until 1995 the firm operated under the name Kässbohrer-Setra, but in that year economic difficulties enforced its sale to Daimler Benz (after 1998 known, especially in the US, by the name of its then newly created holding company Daimler Chrysler). Since 1995, Setra has been a member of the Daimler Benz subsidiary, EvoBus GmbH.

Setra also produced pneumatic rifles between 1960 and 1980.

History

The first Setra bus, the Type S 8, so called because it contained eight rows of seats, was introduced in April 1951 at the German Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung. It featured a self-supporting body designed by Otto Kässbohrer, a concept now featured in most modern buses. Equally unusual at the time was the decision to locate the engine behind the rear axle; though the rear mounted engine configuration is another Kässbohrer-Setra innovation which subsequently became mainstream, simplifying the production process and creating a range of passenger focused possibilities both as to the level of the floor area in the passenger and driver/crew sections, and, where high floor layouts are specified, of the uses available for the underfloor area.

Products

Current

* MultiClass: S412UL, S415UL, S416UL, S417UL, S419UL, S415NF, S416NF
* ComfortClass: S415GT, S415GT-HD, S416GT, S416GT-HD, S416GT-HD/2, S417GT-HD, S419GT-HD
* TopClass: S411HD, S415HD, S415HDH, S416HDH, S417HDH, S431DT

Historic

* First generation (1951): S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S14, S15
* Second generation (1967): S80, S110, S120, S130S, S140ES, S150, SG180M, SG180Ü, SG180ÜL, SG180S
* Third generation (1976): S208H, S208HM, S208HMU, S208HU, S209H, S209HM, S209HMU, S209HU, S210H, S210HD, S210HI, S210HM, S210HMU, S210HU, S211H, S211HD, S211HDI, S211HDU, S211HI, S211HM, S211HMU, S211HU, S212H, S212HM, S212HMU, S212HU, S213H, S213HD, S213HDU, S213HI, S213HM, S213HMA, S213HMI, S213HMU, S213HR, S213HRI-GT, S213HUL, S213UL, S214H, S214HD, S214HDI, S214HDU, S215H, S215HD, S215HDH, S215HDI, S215HDS, S215HDU, S215HI, S215HM, S215HMI, S215HMU, S215HR, S215HRI-GT, S215HU, S215HUL, S215NR, S215RL, S215SL, S215UL, S216HDS, S216HDSI, SG219SL, SG220UL, S221HDS, SG221UL, S228DT, S228DTI, S250 Special
* Fourth generation (1991): S300NC, S309HD, S312HD, S313UL, S313UL-GT, S315GT, S315GT-HD, S315H, S315HD, S315HDH/2, S315HDH/3, S315NF, S315UL, S315UL-GT, S316HDS, S316UL, S317GT-HD, S317HDH, S317UL, S317UL-GT, S319NF, S319UL, S319GT-HD, SG321UL, S328DT

Gallery

Competitors

* Alexander Dennis
* Irisbus
* Irizar
* Jonckheere
* MAN / Neoplan
* Solaris Bus & Coach
* TEMSA
* Van Hool
* Volvo Buses
* VDL Bus

ee also

*Seida

External links

* [http://www.setra.de/englisch/index_english.html Setra website]
* [http://www.setra-coaches.com/ Setra USA]
* [http://galerie.setra-club.de/main.php Setra Enthusiasts' website history section (with pictures, but German Language)]