Last Summer Monaco by Stanford were approached by a family who were in need of some help to create their dream luxury minibus.
A luxury silver Monaco for the G family.
The G family are a large family from Cambridgeshire, therefore travelling in a single vehicle has never been an option for them. Long car journeys for touring holidays and adventures to neighbouring countries, can be boring, even with the help of friends. We’ve made sure that their new luxury minibus makes these journeys easier, exciting and perfect for everyone - even mum with her newly appointed executive travel business!
Following the family’s visit to our factory, we began designing a personalised specification which would meet all of their requirements. As mum would be the main driver, we wanted to make sure that the vehicle would be as comfortable as possible to make sitting in the front cab just as enjoyable as being in the rear saloon. The vehicle was ordered with an automatic gearbox and all of the latest safety technology including blind spot assist, lane keeping assist, electric and heated wing mirrors, LED headlights and a 360-degree parking camera with front and rear sensors.
A few weeks later the Iridium metallic silver Mercedes Sprinter arrived at our blue gates. It was now time for Mr and Mrs G to see the chassis before we worked our bespoke conversion magic.
Mr & Mrs G come to see the Mercedes Sprinter chassis before Monaco by Stanford begin work on it.
Later that week the 416 Sprinter was taken into one of our workshops for the conversion to begin. The side body mouldings, grille, front bonnet vents and eyebrows were sent off to be repainted to match the rest of the vehicle. After 4 weeks, a team of just 2 highly experienced coach builders had completed the luxury minibus. It was now time for the G family to finally see it!
We have made sure that every part of their vehicle is luxury, this even includes the entrance! To enter and exit the vehicle, an electric folding side step deploys when the electric side load door is opened. This is also illuminated by an LED light.
Monaco by Stanford electric folding side step.
The long wheelbase luxury minibus can carry up to 12 passengers plus the driver. In the rear saloon 11 passenger seats have been fitted to our M2 tested floor with tracking. This has then been overlaid in a black hard-wearing carpet and a set of deep pile over mats. Each of the 11 seats are upholstered in a black leather with silver inlays, they also all manually recline. 8 of the seats include fold down tables and magazine nets. For additional storage space, luggage compartments have been installed on either side of the vehicle above the seats.
The interior of the G family’s Monaco minibus has been finished in a soft feel carpet material with a black suede roof to add to the luxury feel. Matching leather recessed panels have then been installed along the centre of the roof with a sun roof / emergency escape hatch.
The rear saloon features black and silver leather passenger seats.
To keep the family entertained, we have installed a 22” smart television above the front cab with an Apple TV and Xbox. If they want to watch a movie, they can pull closed the black curtains and connect a laptop using the HDMI socket. Whatever is playing on the laptop will then be mirrored onto the television screen. A BlueTooth sound bar, 2 high-quality speakers and a sub-woofer will really turn the luxury minibus into a cinema on wheels!
The 22” smart television includes Apple TV, automatic HDMI switchover and an Xbox!
Ensuring that the family stays connected to the world during their travels was important to us, so on-board Wi-Fi and USB charging sockets for each row of seats have been installed. Being comfortable whilst travelling is an essential therefore Eberspacher heating and air conditioning has also been fitted.
The lights are even an entertaining feature in this vehicle as we have installed LED colour changing roof lights which can be set to any colour and speed. Each row of seats has its own LED touch light which sits below the luggage racks, this includes a bright white or comfort blue mode. Throughout the centre of the vehicle, we have also installed LED down lights.
The vehicle features a whole range of LED lights.
You may not want to sit in the front cab after seeing all this in the rear saloon but don’t worry, we’ve ensured that it’s just as good. Both the driver and front passengers’ seats are heated and have been reupholstered by our on-site seating department to match the theme in the rear saloon. The MBUK multimedia system includes an on-board computer which tells you everything you need to know about your vehicle. You can also connect your phone via the BlueTooth or use Apple CarPlay to listen to your own music. It’s the best place to be sat if you want easy access to refreshments and snacks as we’ve fitted a fridge in-between both the front cab seats.
We’ve made sure that driving the vehicle is as comfortable as possible for Mrs G!
Storage was a necessity for the family therefore we utilised the space in the rear to create a boot area. We installed a shelf with LED down lighting for stowage of small baggage. Below the shelf we have fitted 9 coat hangers.
Safety is our priority and we would never jeopardise this no matter how bespoke our vehicles may be. All of our vehicles, including the family Monaco, have passed an IVA test or meet the NSSTA regulations. A certificate is supplied with every vehicle.
We have thoroughly enjoyed creating the luxury Monaco minibus for the G family and we really hope that it makes journeys more exciting for them all.
