The Marcopolo III was a line of coach bodies for medium and long-distance routes, built by Marcopolo in Rio Grande do Sul from 1974 to 1985. The III SE, or Seletivo, joined it at the end of 1977 and replaced the earlier model II. Both were among the first Marcopolo coaches to be mounted on the new 13.2-metre Volvo B58 and Scania 2-series chassis.
Marcopolo III at a glance
| Builder | Marcopolo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Produced | 1974–1985, export only in 1984–1985 |
| Launched | December 1974, as a 1975 model |
| Versions | III, III Articulado, III SE and III SE Articulado |
| III SE launched | end of 1977 |
| Engine position | rear, front, forward of the front axle or central, depending on chassis |
| Chassis makes | mainly Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Scania |
| Maximum length | 13.5 m; 13.2 m after the 1981 legislation |
| New chassis of 1981 | Volvo B58 |
| Scania 2-series | from 1983 |
| Articulated versions | 1977–1981, in production for four years only |
| Successors | Viaggio and Paradiso, from March 1983 |
Based on one source, the Portuguese Wikipedia article on the Marcopolo III.
History of the Marcopolo III
Launch (1974)
The Marcopolo III was launched in December 1974 as a 1975 model, in several versions, and was changed little during the 1970s and 1980s. It was built on chassis with the engine at the rear, at the front, ahead of the front axle or in the middle, mainly Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Scania units, always with a maximum length of 13.5 metres.
III SE and the articulateds (1977)
At the end of 1977 Marcopolo relaunched the Haragano urban body that it had taken over from Nimbus under two names: Sanremo for city work and III SE, or Seletivo, for long-distance routes. The Sanremo became another success for the company, while the III SE replaced the model II, nicknamed Camelinho. In the same year Marcopolo presented two of the first articulated coach bodies built in Brazil, the III and the III SE, one with a front engine on a forward axle and one with a central engine. Neither was approved, and both stayed in production for only four years.
Recession and replacement (1981–1985)
In 1981 an economic recession began to cut production. That year the first bodies built to the new 13.2-metre length limit appeared, against about 12 metres before it, and the III and III SE were among the first Marcopolo coaches to receive the new Volvo B58 chassis, followed two years later by the Scania 2-series (112). In March 1983, under the slogan Sistema Tecnológico de Transportes, Marcopolo presented new coach bodies whose successors, the Viaggio and the Paradiso, ended the III line: sales to the home market finished at the end of 1983, and the III and III SE stayed in production only for export until 1985, together with the Sanremo. The hand-built Tribus II and Superbus II coaches that Viação Itapemirim launched at the end of 1984 are thought to have been inspired by the design of the Marcopolo III.
Design and features
- Four body versions: the III and the III SE, each also built as an articulated coach between 1977 and 1981.
- Any engine position: chassis with the engine at the rear, at the front, ahead of the front axle or centrally mounted.
- Longer bodies: up to 13.2 metres after the 1981 legislation, against about 12 metres before it.
- New chassis early: among the first Marcopolo coaches on the Volvo B58 in 1981 and the Scania 2-series in 1983.
- Export-only ending: after home-market sales closed in 1983 the line continued for export until 1985.
Marcopolo III versions
- III (1974–1985): the standard long-distance coach, built for export in 1984–1985.
- III Articulado (1977–1981): an articulated coach with a front engine on a forward axle.
- III SE (1977–1985): the Seletivo version that replaced the model II, also exported at the end.
- III SE Articulado (1977–1981): the articulated Seletivo with a central engine.
The III was replaced in 1983 by the Paradiso coach, which shared the new generation with the urban Torino. More buses are in the Marcopolo collection.
Video: Marcopolo III
Video by Alberto Vale on YouTube.
Sources
- Marcopolo III, Portuguese Wikipedia: dates, versions, chassis, successors
