It is 7.30 a.m. in Ulm's historic Fischerviertel (Fishermen's Quarter). Standing in the middle of a narrow, cobble-stoned lane, is a large red-and-white bus dating back to the years of Germany's Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) – a Setra S 9. This relic from the beginnings of Kässbohrer's stirring history is posing in front of a house built in 1480; it is the ancestral home of Karl Kässbohrer, the company's founder. Although it is not yet 10.00 a.m. on this cold November morning, a few curious onlookers have already gathered to take a selfie with the charming Setra bus.

Completely unruffled, Sabine Honold stands amid the hubbub. Sabine Honold is responsible for the SetraClassic unit which comprises the Kässbohrer House, the Kässbohrer Hall, the Setra vehicle collection and the Setra brand archive. As a mother of three, she doesn't easily lose her calm, she also knows the cramped, confined conditions in the Fischerviertel and she knows Setra buses. Inside and out! Today, together with colleague and bus driver, Martin Bahle, she is taking us through 70 years of company history and giving us an insight into the Setra legend. In doing so she ties in automotive manufacturing, pioneering spirit, unbridled love of travel and the forced revitalisation of an entire industry. "Now, when I look for our brand identity, talk with customers and try to understand what was the most defining period for Kässbohrer and the Setra brand, I get to hear many anecdotes and special memories all of which are centred around a bus", says Sabine Honold. Just like the previously mentioned red-and-white Setra S9 from 1959. 

The S 9 was a touring coach from the first modular Setra model series. With its self-supporting bodywork, the rear engine which at the time was extremely impressive, nine rows of seats and the panoramic glazing, the bus was the dream of many Germans who saw it as an opportunity to quench their thirst for long-awaited travel. With the advent of the 10 model series, which included the S 9, Kässbohrer fundamentally rationalised production. "One basic vehicle – eight models," was the approach of the then bus manager. It was all about standardising parts and economic efficiency. The plan was to place the latter directly with the customer. It was the birth of a modular design principle that is still favoured today.

And perhaps it is this very period that has particularly characterised the Setra brand for so long. Thanks to the many advantages of the self-supporting bodywork, the buses developed to become touring coaches suitable for long distances. "They brought back desires – then considered long-lost – to an entire generation. The desire to travel to far-off countries, to enjoy holidays and the dolce vita," reports Sabine Honold.

The newly invigorated industrial towns and cities also required new bus solutions. The new buses needed to be economic and robust. The bus manufacturing industry boomed as did the Ulm-based Kässbohrer company. 1976 marked the 25th anniversary of the Setra brand and by then over 20,000 vehicles had been delivered to customers.

At the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s the travel industry began to change radically. Despite the oil crisis and increasing unemployment, the tourist industry experienced a boom. However more than half of domestic holiday-makers travelled to theirdestinations in their own cars and two thirds of those going abroad did the same. This resulted in chaos on the motorways during holiday periods. Kilometre-long traffic jams and numerous accidents were the order of the day. This was one of the reasons why increasing numbers of tourists chose to fly. Package holidays were the trend. In 1970 alone, air traffic increased by more than 20 % compared to the previous year.

Bus travel which had previously been so popular needed revitalising. Bus companies wooed their passengers with special study trips and cheap offers. And the bus manufacturers had to react too. A time began in which manufacturers and entrepreneurs closed ranks; joining forces to tackle new developments. In 1982 for example, Kässbohrer responded to the demand for increased seating capacity with the first double-decker bus, the S 228 DT.

"In an effort to withstand the competition from cars, trains and planes, the industry came up with a whole range of ideas. Young, solvent target groups were enticed with educational journeys and greater comfort. Soon reclining seats, a greater distance between the seats, air conditioning systems, kitchenettes and toilets were standard equipment in Setra touring coaches. Which, by the way, is a feature which is still attributed to our brand today."

The Kässbohrer Hall is home to 25 exhibits and shows vehicles through to the 1990s. Even though Sabine Honold has only lived through a small part of Setra's 70-year history, she can relate to the emotions which visitors experience in the Kässbohrer Hall. "I often sense the polarising effect of the different vehicles in our hall. Almost everyone associates a positive holiday experience with the round buses from the 1960s. However, those who immerse themselves in the history of our vehicles from the mid-1980s, often associate the pragmatic workplace or the functional external design with a somewhat outdated bus image. And wrongly as we know. The 300 model series alone significantly characterised the appearance of the modern bus at the beginning of the 1990s."