In 1984, the first Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo was presented, built from a Bremer Transporter van. That name is due to the city in which it was manufactured, but it soon took new directions to conquer the wildest corners of our planet. 40 years have passed and the automobile sector, and therefore the transportation sector, has evolved at an aesthetic, safety and equipment level.
Electromobility is also present in the commercial range of the star, which presented the new modular VAN-EA that it intends to market from 2026. While this zero-emission future becomes a reality, the owners of other Mercedes-Benz vans, such as the Citan and the T Class, can take advantage of the firm’s experience to camperize them with the Marco Polo Module.
It was not the first, we already know that, but the Bremer Transporter caught the attention of the most demanding and refined adventurers. With its square lines and bulging hood, unusual at that time, the Mercedes-Benz camper acquired its own personality thanks to the beige tone of its body and the interior of the same color.
It was based on the T1 produced in the German city, but by adding the hard roof it grew to 2.97 meters in height. The bed was installed in the upper part, a layout introduced in 1988 and which is still maintained today, as well as the rear bench convertible into a bed, the swivel seats and the kitchen, which has improved over time.
Almost ten years passed until the next generation of the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo arrived, this time produced on the Vito. It was the first model to introduce the lifting roof, so it lost the height of almost three meters and gained practicality and versatility for everyday use. It was updated in 1999, but its concept remains the same in 2024.
A functionality that was also transferred to the cabin, with the rear bench that can be moved along the rails, a removable table that was stored in the side door and cabinets equipped with blinds, key to improving access to the interior. As a curiosity, by placing the handbrake on the left side of the pedals, the front seats turned more easily.
In 2003 the third generation of the Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo arrived, with hardly any changes but many things to tell. Already then, the star’s firm divided its camper range into two models with different equipment. The most equipped, which maintained the full and unique name of Marco Polo, had an electrically operated lifting roof.
However, one of the great advances, and most substantial when it came to camping, was the installation of elastic springs in the upper bed. The competition was slow to jump from the traditional bed base to this system, which is much more comfortable and lighter. As a premium detail, the rear bench stretched to become a bed electrically and the seats had air on the sides to improve grip.
In 2015 Mercedes-Benz began to camperize the V-Class, with the aim of being even more elegant and luxurious. It was the differentiating aspect of the Marco Polo, which boasted a sophisticated interior made of noble materials and premium finishes inspired by the design of yachts. For the rest, it maintains the same distribution and placement of the elements, with the kitchen cabinet on the left side and the bed on the lifting roof.
The modernization was transferred to the vehicle’s infotainment system, with new features such as MBUX or the MBAC camper control unit, from which the air conditioning, lights and battery could be managed. A digitalization that has gotten better in the latest update presented a few months ago, with specific functions for camping and pneumatic suspension as an ally for leveling the camper.
