On July 6, 1966, the XXV FIFA Congress was held in London. In this appointment the ones that will be the two headquarters of the World Cup following the one in England, which started a few days later, are chosen. The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is elected for 1974. It is a historic decision because after World War II the country is divided in two, the FRG and the Democratic Republic or East Germany under a communist regime. By the way, another fact for history, the two Germanys will participate in their respective teams in this event that takes place from June 13 to July 7, 1974
The sixteen participating teams in this X Soccer World Cup, have to move from their concentration places to the fields where they play the matches and, as it could not be otherwise, they do it by coach. Mercedes-Benz is the supplier of the sixteen units, each one painted with the name and colors of its country and, on top of the roof, the flags of the respective teams.
The model chosen was the 0 302, already a veteran born in 1965: its successor, the 0 303, was presented in that year of 1974. In any case, and despite this seniority, it was a high-end coach in terms of speed, suspension comfort and ease of use. It had, for the first time and as special equipment, air conditioning: those of the 1974 World Cup had those of the “Thermo King” brand, located in the rear part of the roof.
Air suspension, initially special equipment, was fitted as standard from 1971. The coach was available with a choice of four six-cylinder diesel engines and power outputs ranging from 126 to 240 PS.
The replica of the 0 302 of the German team, exhibited at the Mercedes Benz Museum
After the World Cup, these coaches were reused, and little by little, over the years, their track was lost.
a replica
But at Daimler they wanted to recover the O 302 used by the West German team, which won the 1974 World Cup. And they have made a replica of it from another unit, and it is exhibited in the brand’s museum . It stands out for its striking design with the logo “WM 74” (World Cup 74), the inscription “BR Deutschland” (FR Germany) and the applied national colors of black, red and gold. The ’74 Cup logo on the outside of the bus represents a stylized rolling soccer ball. The mascots of the 1974 World Cup greet us from behind: “Tip and Tap”, two laughing children with red cheeks, in the black and white DFB uniform. They were created by the Saarbrücken illustrator Horst Schäfer. They were available as stuffed animals and key chains, as well as neckties, children’s pajamas, or beer mugs, among other things.
Tip&Tap, the mascots of Germany 74 appear on the rear window, under the air conditioning
Beer, ashtrays…
Yes, getting on this bus is a trip back in time, but not only to the sporting event but also to life, to society, to the mentality of those seventies of the last century.
Each player was assigned their seat.
The red-orange seat cover fabric shines brightly, and there is a headrest cover on each chair – each player had their own assigned seat. Individual equipment also includes ashtrays at each seat, an onboard toilet, and even a tap for fresh beer… Yes, times were different: non-alcoholic beer would not become widespread until much later, and smoking was still socially acceptable, even for elite athletes.
The radio cassette, where the official song of the World Cup was playing, “Fußball ist unser Leben”
And the well-suspended driver’s seat, from where he would grab the big black steering wheel and proudly lead his team, surrounded by the gazes of the fans. In the seat next to you? Probably the national coach Helmut Schön, maybe also the assistant coach Jupp Derwall or the captain, the famous Franz Beckenbauer. The World Cup song “Fußball ist unser Leben” (“football is our life”) certainly played quite often on the Blaupunkt stereo cassette player. The senior team players of the DFB (German Football Association) sang it in person in the recording studio before the tournament. Now it rings as soon as museum visitors get on the bus.
For three and a half weeks, the footballers traveled to match stadiums throughout West Germany in “their” O 302. In the final on July 7, 1974 in Munich, the German team faced “Clockwork Orange”, the famous Dutch team directed by Rinus Michels, and with figures like Johan Cruiff, Johan Neeskens…
The ashtrays… today unthinkable and less in a sports coach
With a result of 2 to 1, the game ended and the German team, after receiving the long-awaited cup, got on that coach with the registration “F-WM-134”. A lot of celebratory beer is supposed to have flowed from the tap on the bus on the way back to the hotel…
In 2011, a photo emerged on social networks: it was in Iran and the German team bus appeared there. A long and curious journey and, perhaps, another story to tell.