AutoPuzzles - The Internet's Museum of Rare Cars!

Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2023 => Topic started by: sichel on October 08, 2023, 02:05:33 PM

Title: SOLVED: si_500 - Gräf & Sift - coach - built by W. Müller and F. Fleischer - 1965
Post by: sichel on October 08, 2023, 02:05:33 PM
Who built this nice coach? On what basis? When was it?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 15, 2023, 08:26:01 AM
Activity of the experts is in demand!
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 06:14:26 AM
Now let the professionals prove their knowledge.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 29, 2023, 09:37:59 AM
German ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 09:39:48 AM
Yes.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 29, 2023, 11:11:33 AM
Setra ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 11:34:25 AM
No!!
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 29, 2023, 11:43:31 AM
Mercedes-Benz ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 11:46:27 AM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 29, 2023, 12:45:27 PM
M.A.N ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 02:17:17 PM
Sorry Pguillem, I wasn't paying attention in my answer to your question #3. The base of the vehicle is not German, but it was built in Germany.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 29, 2023, 02:55:50 PM
German body on foreign chassis?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 03:11:03 PM
Yes.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 29, 2023, 03:44:10 PM
Italy?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 29, 2023, 04:07:34 PM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 29, 2023, 08:05:56 PM
Škoda chassis ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 04:53:42 AM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 30, 2023, 07:15:17 AM
Switzerland?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 07:18:24 AM
No, but you have been moving in the right region for three answers.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 30, 2023, 07:19:44 AM
Austria?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 09:15:44 AM
Yes!!
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 30, 2023, 09:17:21 AM
Graf&Stift?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 02:31:31 PM
Yes, it is a Gräf & Stift. My source says nothing about the model designation. So all that's missing now is the builder and year of construction.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 30, 2023, 02:36:50 PM
So far I have been lucky shooting in the dark.
I have absolutely no idea of the coachbuilder.
Let's see if Pguillem knows more
Auwarter?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 02:41:55 PM
Yes, I'm also curious to see how it goes with you two....
Auwärter is not the solution.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 30, 2023, 03:13:40 PM
Voll ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 30, 2023, 04:35:43 PM
No
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 31, 2023, 01:42:54 PM
Early 60s?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 31, 2023, 01:56:08 PM
Mid 60s.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 31, 2023, 02:11:28 PM
Obscure coachbuilder?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 31, 2023, 02:16:06 PM
Yes!!
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Hiawatha on October 31, 2023, 02:20:00 PM
I'm so happy...
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 31, 2023, 02:26:21 PM
I am glad I could do you a favour ;)
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 31, 2023, 02:31:09 PM
Böbel ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 31, 2023, 02:38:25 PM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on October 31, 2023, 02:47:00 PM
@ pguillem and Hiawatha: To avoid misunderstandings: The builder was unknown, but had help from a fairly well known coachbuilder.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on October 31, 2023, 05:19:44 PM
@ pguillem and Hiawatha: To avoid misunderstandings: The builder was unknown, but had help from a fairly well known coachbuilder.

Looking for visual similarities. Is this well-known coachbuilder Vetter ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 01, 2023, 06:13:22 AM
Not Vetter. The similarities with the products of the professional coachbuilder are limited.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on November 01, 2023, 09:45:15 AM
I was referring to this Magirus-Deutz
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 01, 2023, 10:05:47 AM
Yes, the windscreen looks similar, but the rest...
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on November 01, 2023, 12:21:26 PM
FAKA ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 01, 2023, 12:31:35 PM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on November 01, 2023, 01:15:02 PM
Wankmiller ?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 01, 2023, 01:59:38 PM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: pguillem on November 01, 2023, 02:34:11 PM
No more guesses here.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 02, 2023, 08:57:33 AM
There are still many areas in Germany that have not been searched...  For a better understanding: The result was teamwork between the customer and the coachbuilder. The frame was designed and constructed together and then built by the customer. Then this skeleton was driven to the coachbuilder!!! where it was sheet metaled, glazed and painted.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 17, 2023, 04:45:55 PM
Up to the Masters.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 17, 2023, 04:55:56 PM
Müller, Stolpen in collaboration with Fleischer, Gera
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Wendax on November 17, 2023, 05:13:29 PM
During construction:
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 17, 2023, 05:16:08 PM
..and another picture
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 17, 2023, 05:29:40 PM
History: Walter & Harry Müller Busreisen, Stolpen (Google-translation of an German article)
The company's origins go back to the founding of the Walter Müller company as an independent haulage company. In 1945 Walter Müller bought a truck, equipped it with a wood gas generator and transported everything that was necessary to supply the population. His son Harry moved to his father's company after completing his apprenticeship as a technical draftsman. Having come up with the idea at a sporting event in Dresden, they converted the truck's loading area to transport people. The initially very rustic transport variant was technically improved and used for excursions. The strong response to these trips ultimately led to the purchase of two old buses, which were partially or completely rebuilt in their own workshop. These buses were the starting point for future vehicle construction. From now on, chassis with bodies were manufactured in Müllers own workshop and completed by external companies or completed exclusively in-house. A highlight in the vehicle construction of the Müller company was the cooperation with the Fleischer company in Gera. With the experts there, Harry Müller developed a self-supporting body with a floor pan and rear-wheel drive based on his own drawings and designs, particularly in the chassis area.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 18, 2023, 06:38:37 AM
Now that's what I call a detailed answer. Only the year of manufacture is still missing... Of course the puzzle is locked for fromwien.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 18, 2023, 07:03:56 AM
1958?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 19, 2023, 05:22:41 AM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 19, 2023, 03:53:01 PM
I hope, I can trust the informations I have about bus production at Fleischer:
1) Fleischer started with their own bus production with self-supporting bodywork in 1958
2) Fleischer was unable to buildup any buses from 1963 to 1965, because of a major USSR order for 200 X-ray-vehicles on SIL chassis
3) Plexiglas for roof edge glazing was no longer available in the GDR from 1966 on
Summarized I will try:
1962?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 19, 2023, 05:00:47 PM
Not 1962.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 19, 2023, 05:34:41 PM
In between: 1960?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 19, 2023, 05:54:41 PM
No.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 20, 2023, 03:16:46 AM
Later than 1962?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 20, 2023, 04:55:17 AM
Yes, there is already a hint in the correspondence on this puzzle.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 20, 2023, 05:11:54 AM
Oh, thank you. Once more I didn't read all the previous posts carefully enough..
1965?
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: sichel on November 20, 2023, 05:51:13 AM
Yes, 1965 is correct. Here's your next point.
From 1963 to 1965, bus production at Fritz Fleischer KG came to a virtual standstill due to the large order for the production of X-ray trains.
However, repairs were still possible and designs for the next generation of buses, the S 2 RU, were already being finalised.
In this context, there seems to have been time to design the frame of the Müller bus. The frame was then built at Müller on a chassis from Gräf & Stift. They would have liked to place the engine in the rear, but this was not authorised by the licensing authority. The motorised frame was then driven to Fleischer for planking. Pure adventure!
I am attaching photos of two other vehicles from the Müller fleet.
Immediately after the Second World War, a wooden gas lorry was provisionally fitted with benches and a roof. The excursion bus was ready.
From 1969, further buses were built in co-operation with Fleischer. Here is an example.
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: fromwien on November 20, 2023, 06:13:12 AM
Thank you for the point and puzzle.
Sadly missed to buy the "Fleischer"-book in time, now it's quite expensive on the second-hand-market
Title: Re: si_500
Post by: Wendax on November 20, 2023, 06:44:00 AM
Unfortunately this bus isn't included in the book.
Title: Re: SOLVED: si_500 - Gräf & Sift - coach - built by W. Müller and F. Fleischer - 1965
Post by: fromwien on November 20, 2023, 08:09:39 AM
Ok, thank you for the information, but I am also anyway interested in the company's history. Does anybody know more about the type of the Gräf & Stift chassis and its engine? Gräf & Stift built prototypes of buses with self-supporting bodywork in 1958, but stopped this adventure, because of high costs