1980 Mercedes-Benz (MTT Bus 339)

During 1974, the Perth Metropolitan Transport Trust (MTT) entered into the first of many contracts with German firm Mercedes-Benz for the supply of underfloor rear-engined buses. This order was influenced by a growing disenchantment with the British firm Leyland, which had been the principal supplier of bus chassis to the MTT for the preceding 15 years. Delivery of the initial 65 Mercedes-Benz buses began in 1975. Within weeks, Perth's travelling public and MTT staff had enthusiastically embraced the new Mercedes-Benz buses. This encouraged the organisation to buy many more of this make and model. By early 1986 there were 438 examples in the MTT fleet, a significant quantity by prevailing world standards.

Bus 339 began its service to the citizens of Perth on 1st September 1980, based at the Causeway Depot in East Perth. Following the change of trading name from MTT to Transperth in 1986, bus 339 received a different colour scheme. After the introduction of tendering of Perth's bus services in the mid-1990's, 339 was leased to Swan Transit for service on Transperth contracts. After a highly commendable 27 years of operation on Perth bus routes, which was around double the "design life" envisaged by the chassis maker, 339 was withdrawn on 9th November 2007. Fortunately 339 was bought at auction the following month by an avid bus enthusiast who subsequently had it professionally repainted in its original 'arrow style' MTT livery. On 9th November 2010, exactly 3 years after its withdrawal from regular passenger service, 339 joined the extensive collection of heritage buses owned by the Bus Preservation Society, thus brightening the future of this bus as a much admired and valued 'working exhibit'.