It was 1969 when driver Hector Prieto, along with colleagues, acquired an LO 1112 to serve bus route 6 in Buenos Aires. This wasn’t unusual, as at the time there was no municipal transport company in the city. Drivers who owned buses would get together to set up regular transport along set routes: in this way, the “colectivos” were born. They formed the backbone of the public transport system, departing at regular intervals on which passengers could rely.

The vivid colour-scheme also acted to entice riders. This was needed as, on the most lucrative routes through the Argentinian capital, several collectives might compete with one another. Each “colectivo” used its flashy colours and broad appeal to attract as many passengers as possible. One typical feature is the large number of lucky charms painted on the exterior and interior – playing cards, dice or magic accessories. This means the bus brings luck to driver and passengers alike.

The LO 1112 was built on a lorry chassis from Germany using typical local bus bodywork assembled at the Buenos Aires Mercedes-Benz Factory. This was founded a good 70 years ago and is the company’s oldest foreign operation. The vast majority of “colectivos” opted for Mercedes-Benz buses – their market share sat at around 90 per cent for decades.

To get from the city to well-loved holiday destinations in the 1950s, the best way to travel was on board a Mercedes-Benz O 3500. As the first Mercedes-Benz bus or coach to be built after the war, it marked a desire for a fresh start and return to normality. It was still conceived as a classic “long-nose” bus built on a lorry chassis. Various different models could be used as buses and coaches. The vehicle on display in Stuttgart is a luxury coach with full-length windows, a model frequently deployed in the 1950s for tours of Italy.

Its special feature is a massive folding sunroof, something that really comes into its own on city tours and trips through spectacular landscapes. The 6-cylinder engine has a displacement of a good 4580 cubic centimetres, though the driver only has 90 hp to work with – something that requires a somewhat forward-thinking driving style. But the bus is perfect for its era: an unhurried period of easygoing travel, with no trace of the hectic hurly-burly of modern times.

One bus that managed to write sporting history is the Mercedes-Benz O 302 on show at the Museum. When the World Cup came to West Germany in 1974, Mercedes-Benz provided 72 buses to players and officials, among them 16 luxury O 302 coaches, one for each team. Their extravagant furnishings included the “Thermo King” air-con on the roof, an on-board kitchen and WC. The coaches had the home country and national flag of the team in question painted on the outside. In the West German eleven’s coach, each seat had the player’s name written on it.

As traffic grew in cities, the importance of bus services rose alongside it. Public transport companies required an ever greater number of vehicles and the desire for standardisation increased. The O 305 was part of the first generation of standard buses, by which bus models used for regular services began to be unified from 1967 onwards. Unprepossessing as the Stuttgart-made vehicle might have appeared at first glance, it laid the foundation for the success and importance that buses have obtained today.

The exhibit still bears the traces of its working life. The steps up to the compartment have been worn smooth by the millions of feet that trooped in and out, day after day, on their way to work, home or to visit friends. Looking at the original plush upholstery, you are tempted to just imagine all the people who sat here. The museum bus worked for 15 years at the Stuttgarter Straßenbahnen AG (SSG), from 1980 to 1995. During this time, it covered more than a million kilometres.