Voegtlin-Meyer AG

Are you looking for a special mode of transport for your trip? Our vintage bus "Berni" is ideal for weddings, birthdays, club outings, and company trips. "Berni" has 30 seats and can also be decorated on request.

Do you remember how it used to be?"Dü-da-do, Poschtauto!" That was the advertising slogan based on the three-tone horn of the golden yellow vehicles. "Dü-da-do" had right of way everywhere and in every situation, especially in the mountains. “Dü-da-do” sounded on wedding trips and school trips. And if you were on vacation somewhere and heard a “Dü-da-do,” you would go to the window to see the post bus go by.

Without any hustle and bustle

Life was more leisurely back then than it is today. Hectic was largely unknown. Klaus Zimmermann, a retired post bus driver, recalls: "I drove exactly this model from the Berna brand. Back then, in the Bernese Oberland. The vehicle always worked; it never had a technical defect. Only in very rare cases did the battery fail. Then people had to get out, and I said to them, 'Gäbet ehm hurti schnäu e Mupf!' – and that was that." Zimmermann smiles and repeats: "Yes, it ran like clockwork. And everything was very simple."

The memories come flooding back: "Thanks to the good weight distribution on the axles, driving in heavy snow was no problem. However, visibility could sometimes be quite impaired in heavy snowfall, despite the windshield wipers. Then I just had to 'hurti schtill ha' (stop quickly), get out and clean the windows."

"There was never any rush. I never drove faster than 65 km/h. Anything else would have been unreasonable for the engine. Back then, there was still time at the stops. If I saw a mother waving her umbrella up there at Heimetli, I would wait until she had come down and only then would I drive off. No one was annoyed by this, on the contrary."

"You speak so fondly of the old post bus. Almost as if it were a living being." Zimmermann smiles again. "For me, it really is something like that. I loved traveling in it."

Extra trips

The old Berna, built in 1966, with its long nose, is in excellent condition and still fully roadworthy. Manfred Gautschi, senior manager at Voegtlin-Meyer, calls it "our gem." He knows that it is not easy to drive. There is no power steering or synchronized transmission. You can not only hear the engine, you can feel it too. Especially when changing gears.

The old-timer is set to see more action again. Voegtlin-Meyer wants to use it next spring to offer wine tours to Döttingen, including tastings. Or to Hallwil Castle. Or to the Tegerfelden Wine Museum. Or to the Schenkenberg Valley. Or... The possibilities are endless. The important thing is that passengers are taken through the countryside at a leisurely pace on side roads, giving them plenty of time to see the sights.

In addition to organized excursions, the Berna is also available for weddings, birthday parties, and company outings. Gautschi says: "I can well imagine that older people will have fond memories, and younger passengers will also enjoy the old technology and the nostalgic interior of the vehicle."

And for all those who would like to see the old-timer for themselves, it will be on display at the upcoming Expo in Schachen (October 22 to 25)!