1958 Ex-Mercedes Training Bus is a Rare eBay Find

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC

 

Posted by Zach Doell

 

It takes a certain person to love a van or a bus, but it doesn’t take that same eye to recognize an important one when you see it. A good rule to live by? If it says “Mercedes-Benz Mobile Training Unit” in faded lettering on the side… take a second look. 

This elderly 1958 Mercedes-Benz L-319 panorama bus shows that exact branding. Though it has surely seen better days, we reckon this one is quite special. But best of all, it packs an apparently quite desirable and rare sunroof option. Interested? You can find it up for sale on eBay.

The Mercedes L-319 family began back in 1955, offering up a larger industrial workhorse that was bigger than Mercedes’ passenger vehicle offerings yet smaller than the automaker’s big L-3500 trucks. An L-319 van was the first model to debut, and Mercedes quickly followed up with panel van, flatbed truck, bus, and even firetruck variants.

While designed to be tough and durable, they weren’t exactly what you’d call fast. Many of the L-319s used four-cylinder diesel engines plucked from Mercedes’ contemporary vehicle lineup. That meant around 40 horsepower on tap and a top speed of “not much”. 1968 signaled the end of the forward-control L-319 series, replaced by the long-running T2 generation. With numbers dwindling, restoration candidates such as this loom like dinosaurs.

According to the seller, this L-319 was originally used as a transport and training vehicle for Mercedes-Benz North America employees.

 Up top it features the highly sought after sunroof option, and below it tacks on its original dually rear axle. The engine has since been exchanged for a GM motor, however all of the glass apart from the rear window appears to be present and in decent shape.
Looking for a party bus?

Show this old Merc some TLC and you’ll have quite the keeper on your hands.
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