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The Mercedes-Benz Integro has covered 1.2 million kilometres without a hitch

“Nothing at all has been tampered with here” explains Walter Hoffmann proudly “but we do pay very careful attention to oil changes and clean air filters.” The energetic 72-year-old bus and coach services operator from the town of Nohn in the Eifel region, is standing in front of one of his Mercedes-Benz Integros. He is happy to allow a peek into its well-kempt engine compartment. The Mercedes-Benz Integro has already covered 1.2 million kilometres and is still powered by its original engine.

Day after day, since 1997. But the 184 kW (250 hp) OM 447 hLA engine with manual 6-gear transmission hasn’t always had an easy job of it: far from it, for the topography of this area is very demanding. Especially Regional Bus Line 300, a run which the Hoffmanns plied for many years. The odometer would really start to spin: at a rhythm of a trip every two hours from Daun to Bernkastel and back, 120 km for each round trip - and on the weekends usually drawing a bicycle trailer. Because there are so very many “pedal knights” who love to ride this stretch of road, but only downhill! After all, there is a difference in height of up to 400 metres between Model and Maar (Daun). In spite of these altitude differences, the Integro consumed only 27 litres per 100 km: Excellent figures which speak well both of the driver and of the vehicle’s engineering.

Bus and coach operator Walter Hoffmann

Founded in 1898, this family business has been involved with mobility right from the very start. First of all, as blacksmiths, with horse-drawn carts of their own, later on as a motor car rental firm with its own filling station. In 1957 the first bus was bought, to provide transport services on behalf of the Deutsche Bundes­bahn (Federal German Railways). One by one, bus lines of their own and school bus services were added. The bus fleet grew continuously. As did the depot and the filling station, which had to be enlarged several times, and were later comple­mented with a vehicle repair workshop. Since the 90s the activities of this successful bus and coach operator has been neatly rounded off by a travel agency, with a branch in the nearby town of Adenau in the Eifel.

Today Hoffmann-Reisen employs 21 people and operates 18 buses. Apart from lines of their own in the area of Adenau, Hoffmann-Reisen also drives on behalf of Ahrweiler Verkehrs GmbH & Co KG (today TRANSDEV) and the Rhein-Mosel Verkehrsgesellschaft (RMV).

Senior manager Walter Hoffmann, a trained automotive mechanic, learned his trade from scratch. Just like his father Fritz and his grandfather Johann Michael Hoffmann. So it can simply be taken for granted that a keen eye is always kept on maintenance and value conservation of the vehicle fleet. In the very best family tradition, the next generation is already active in the family business: his daughter Maria (commercial direction) and his son-in-law Dieter Trierscheid (vehicle fleet).

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