Among those companies who really appreciate the Unimog is the scaffolding company Schneider Ltd. and its working relationship with this competent all-rounder goes back for about 30 years. Scaffolding erected by this Sonthofen company on churches, hospitals, schools, industrial buildings and mountain railway stations can be anything up to 50 metres high. One of the scaffolding company’s key operations is renting out over 40 self-propelling aerial working platforms. This is where the Unimog U 400 comes into its own as it is able to do a really good job with its additional customised implements. The U 400 delivers all the equipment directly to the construction sites, taking even challenging mountain passes in its stride.

Top marks for Unimog after-sales service
Three generations of scaffold-builders at Schneider Ltd have been impressed by the after-sales service provided by Wohlgschaft in Wangen, the Unimog general distributor for the region. In particular the scaffolding company appreciates the Unimog GD’s pick-up and delivery service, as well as its servicing of both equipment and vehicles. And Schneider passes on Wohlgschafft’s reliability to its own customers by being able to stick to agreed-on dates. This is vital for renting out aerial working platforms and supplying the equipment on the agreed date has to be guaranteed.

The experts at the UGD in Wangen also do the configuration for the high performance U 400 fleet. Two trailer couplings – ball type and jaw type – for various types of trailer, compressed air connections for tricky manoeuvring, winches on the flatbed and implements for winter services ensure that the Unimog is kept busy year-round doing various kinds of work.

As usual, the U 400 product range also cuts a good figure in the scaffolding business with its off-road capabilities, manoeuvrability, handling and comfort, as well as with its narrow outer width of 2.20 metres. The Sonthofen scaffold- builders emphasise that the Unimog is unrivalled in the way it deals with the mountainous terrain and inaccessible construction sites found especially in the Allgäu area. And here the U 400 ensures that scaffold-builder Schneider’s principles –punctuality and quality – are here to stay.

Source: Daimler AG

Here, at 2935 metres above sea level, is where the hiking trail begins for those tourists who want to be as close as possible to the lava fields. More than 300,000 tourists are drawn each year to Sicily by the prospect of climbing Mount Etna.

The Unimog range, which has been built since 2002 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, is the ideal candidate for use in the harsh conditions that prevail on Etna: the only vehicle concept of this type in the world, it guarantees the ultimate off-road capability. A flexible ladder frame, all-wheel drive with differential locks in both axles, which are in fact portal axles, and the central tire inflation system Tirecontrol – every single technical detail plays its part in ensuring that the “Universal-Motor-Gerät”, or “Universal Motor Device” – the German version of which provides the acronym that makes up the Unimog name – remains a dependable partner on the rough tracks and ash fields of Europe’s highest active volcano.

Transport, maintenance procedures, construction work – full programme on Mount Etna
The extremely versatile Unimog carries out vital duties against a spectacular backdrop: a bus body on the U 5000 provides seats for the tourists, carrying them safely from the cable car station all the way up the steep track. Also in service on Etna is a U1550 L, fitted with the necessary attachments for its task of clearing snow or ash from the tracks. The versatility of the Unimog has also come into its own during the building of a new cable car to replace one that was destroyed by volcanic eruptions.

Award-winning model series with a 60-year history
In 2011, the readers of the specialist magazine “Off Road” voted the series 4000 to 5000 Unimog the best off-road vehicle of the year in the category of special-purpose vehicles. Its use on Mount Etna provides renewed evidence of how worthy of the honour the award-winning Unimog is. The principle areas of application for this model series are in tricky off-road terrain far off the beaten track, for example in situations involving the fire services, disaster control or expedition support, or for service and maintenance work in poorly accessible areas.

The broad scope of its potential areas of operation, the unique vehicle concept and the longevity of the vehicles all help to explain the popularity that the various Unimog model series have enjoyed for over sixty years now. Since production started, more than 380,000 units of the Unimog have been built.

Source: Daimler AG

In early 2012, the tropical cyclone “Andrea” brought particular challenges for the Unimog fleet operated out of the Felsenau depot near Feldkirch/Frastanz, which is responsible for road maintenance services on some two-thirds of the roads in the Vorarlberg region. More than ten metres of fresh snow fell on the Arlberg pass, the most important link between Austria’s most westerly region and Innsbruck, taking the highway maintenance authorities by surprise. The situation was similarly dramatic in the Montafon region, over towards the Silvretta high Alpine road, in the Great Walser Valley and on the Flexen route towards Zürs and Lech. The only vehicle up to the task was the 210 kW (286 hp) Unimog U 500 fitted with a Schmidt 105 front-end snow cutter – clearing width 2.60 metres. This combination proved extremely effective in clearing the exceptional volume of snow from the roads, according to Helmut Feuerstein, technical director of the Felsenau depot.

4-wheel steering for exceptional manoeuvrability in snow
The metre-high banks of snow on either side of the road demand precision work from the Unimog’s driver. It is in situations like this that the transferable steering system VarioPilot and the 4-wheel steering system really come into their own. With 4‑wheel steering the Unimog becomes considerably more manoeuvrable than it already is, while its turning circle is reduced by up to 30 percent. It means that the snow cutter can clear bends far more quickly these days. Before the advent of 4-wheel steering, it was necessary to begin by cutting extra bays into a bend in order to achieve the necessary curve radius. It was a long-winded process that involved a lot of turning and forward and backward manoeuv res. Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks now offers this unique technology as a variant for Unimog, Econic and all municipal and fire-fighting vehicles.

The Unimog fleet at the Felsenau depot comprises two U 500 models with 4-wheel steering as well as a third U 500. Then there are a U 1000 and a U 130, plus a 29-year-old U 406, known affectionately by the Felsenau team as the “Buffalo”. It is apparently indestructible and can be fitted with various attach­ments and implements to cope with even the trickiest operational situations that can arise on Alpine roads. Working in the heavy snow that fell earlier this year, the six Unimog vehicles were once again crucial to delivering the broad spectrum of activities demanded of the Felsenau fleet.

Best practice example for winter maintenance specialists from across Europe
The exemplary way in which the snow on the Arlberg was cleared – and the cost-effectiveness of this approach for the operator – also became a talking point among Alpine winter maintenance experts from across Europe. A stream of experts with an interest in this field have since made their way to the Vorarlberg to see the benefits of a Unimog with 4-wheel steering being demonstrated on the Arlberg Pass. Even the road maintenance service experts from Andorra, who have been Unimog customers for many years, were persuaded to come along and see for themselves the superior performance of the Unimog with 4-wheel steering. A demon­stration of its capabilities on the Arlberg so convinced Andorra’s representatives that they immediately placed an order for six Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 500 with 4-wheel steering.

Source: Daimler AG

Mercedes-Benz Thailand will officially hand the vehicles over to the Thai Red Cross Society on December 23. The ceremony will be attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. She is also known as the Princess of Technology, due to her interest in and knowledge of new technologies and how they can benefit her country.

Vehicles are able to ford depths of up to 1,200 mm
Mercedes-Benz Thailand selected two Unimogs for the cleanup task because the vehicle has special characteristics, in particular the ability to ford unusually deep waters of up to 1,200 mm. Says Gerald Buechler, the manager in charge of the project at Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, “As a result of a concerted action by all of the relevant units at Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, it took us only ten working days to complete all of the preparations for transporting the two UNIMOG U4000 trucks by air.” In cooperation with DHL and Thai Cargo, the two vehicles were loaded onto planes in Frankfurt on December 1.

Source: Daimler AG

Fitted with both gritting and snow-clearing equipment, these vehicles have now been delivered to Klaus-Dieter Tschäpe, owner and general manager of Ruwe GmbH in Berlin. The combined gritting and snow-clearing equipment on the five Unimog U 300 equipment carriers is supplied by Aebi Schmidt, and consists of the Cirron SL 27 snow plough and the Stratos B 20 automatic spreader, giving the Unimog a spreading width of 2.7 metres. The automatic spreader can carry 2 cubic metres of dry product and 880 litres of liquid, which are applied to the roadway through an efficient, finely-tuned mixing system in the spreader disk.

New regulations on gritting and snow clearing in the Federal State of Berlin impose stricter requirements on property owners and service providers. This means that footpaths and squares need to be completely free of snow and ice – just sweeping the surfaces and spreading grit is no longer sufficient. Instead, each layer of ice needs to be removed. In view of this, the Unimog is particularly useful when it comes to clearing parking lots, factory premises, event areas and other open spaces. In addition, as a rule the winter service operations in Berlin are now required to start even while the snow is falling.

Over 80 Unimogs in operation for Ruwe
Operating throughout Berlin and the State of Brandenburg, Ruwe GmbH is a major provider of street-cleaning, snow-clearing and property-maintenance services. The company has 253 full-time employees and up to 1000 part-time and seasonal workers operating over 600 vehicles in total. This includes over 80 Unimogs, chosen for their reliability, making Ruwe’s Unimog fleet the largest in Germany.

More effective snow clearing with the Unimog
The Unimog U 300, U 400 and U 500 equipment carriers are ideally suited for the wintertime tasks of snow clearing and road gritting. The engines can generate 110 kW (150 HP) and 130 kW (177 HP), as well as 175 kW (238 HP) and 210 kW (286 PS), and the transmission has eight forward gears, plus eight crawler gears as an optional extra. The automatic Telligent gearshift system from the truck range makes driving easier, enabling the driver to focus on the task of gritting and snow clearing. The Unimog is subject to the same exacting environmental performance standards as trucks – and naturally it complies with the Euro V emissions standard.

An excellent all-round view from the panoramic cab of the Unimog U 300/U 400/U 500, unimpeded 360 degree visibility thanks to a total of five mirrors, and perfect seat positioning allowing the driver to observe intersections ahead as well as keeping any front-mounted equipment in view – all of these features make the job easier. Driving safety is assured by the 4-channel ABS brake system, as well as an automatic load-dependent brake (ALB) to control the brake force distribution between the front and rear axles. And comfort is no less important: the Unimog vibrations are below legal limits, which is an important aspect of driver comfort. Most front-mounted implements can be carried without taking any additional steps, thanks to the short distance between implement and tractor, and the favourable axle load distribution guarantees the directional stability of the steering, even in poor road conditions. Comfort seats with 3-point safety belts and integrated head restraints ensure that the occupants of the Unimog cab, which is tested to ECE R29, enjoy the same level of safety as is required for trucks.

Good front axle traction, even with a snow plough
The job is made even easier thanks to the snow plough load-relief feature, which enables the snow plough to be relieved of an adjustable proportion of its weight as required. This weight component is transferred to the front axle of the Unimog by means of the vehicle hydraulic system, which gently reduces the load on the plough. As well as increasing the traction and improving the steering characteristics, this also means a longer service life for the wearing edge of the plough, so helping to make the vehicle more cost-effective. The front axle of the Unimog is designed to cope with a heavy load – the type of snow plough used in Berlin, for example, weighs 700 kg.

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks
The Mercedes-Benz factory in Worth is the biggest truck assembly plant in the world, and with a workforce of around 11,000 it is the second biggest employer in the region. The product line includes a full range of trucks with gross weights from 6.5 to 60 metric tons, with the model series Actros, Axor and Atego, as well as the three Special Truck model series, Econic, Unimog and Zetros. With its Unimog, Econic and Zetros models, the Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks (MBS) product division is the industry specialist for small series production, and with annual sales of around 5000 units it constitutes a business unit in its own right within Mercedes-Benz Trucks. In addition, with the Molsheim plant in France and its conversion partners, MBS is a top conversion specialist for all model series, converting around 10,000 trucks each year. MBS employs around 1500 people in Worth and Molsheim.

Source: Daimler AF

Both during its hard everyday work as well as when being put through demanding tests, the Unimog from product range U 300/U 400/U 500 makes the most of its advantages and numerous safety features such as optimal visibility, track-keeping while driving, controlled braking on roads with uneven surfaces, very good impact protection in case of collision, as well as good ergonomics due to a multitude of other features such as vibration protection for the driver.

ADAC experts have taken a close look at the Unimog U 400 fitted with a snow plough and gritter or mower as being representative of its municipal all-year round use. The results have confirmed the implement carrier’s high safety standards.

Optimal Visibility
Due to its short dimensions of only 3.10 metres in front when working with a mounted Gmeiner snow plough GLS 270, the Unimog remains a whole 0.4 metres under the legal limits and at the same time has optimal visibility making it even safer when working in moving traffic. The extremely well-designed position of the driving seat as well as the large panorama windscreen of the cab provide the driver with the very best view of his working areas as well as of the traffic so that he can recognise potential dangers well in time. Even with the snow plough mounted in front, the driver still has an unlimited field of vision from ten metres on. And that means more safety – both for the driver as well as for all other road users.

Altogether five mirrors on both driver and co-driver sides provide good visibility towards the rear, starting with the heated, electrically adjustable large-surface rear mirror. This means that blind spots and dangerous situations such as zebra crossings are considerably reduced and defused. The rear lighting makes the Unimog clearly visible for following traffic: four rear lights, two blinkers, two reversing lights, two reflectors, one rear fog light and two braking lights. In addition, two side lights and contour and limiting lights make sure that the Unimog can be seen in every situation. At the front, headlights which can be adjusted according to distance provide light in the darkness.

Controlled handling
What is also important in a dangerous situation is that the vehicle is under control at all times. The Unimog is fitted with 4-channel ABS as a standard feature which prevents the wheels from locking and makes sure that even during an emergency braking the Unimog is still capable of being steered. The standard safety equipment – including the automatic load-dependent brake (ALB), a pneumatic dual-circuit braking system and the two-stage engine brake – ensure that the Unimog comes to a precise stop with controlled braking even if the grip traction on the road surface varies or it is carrying different kinds of loads on hilly routes.
Due to its almost perfectly balanced axle load distribution of 45 % to 55 % (back) when loaded, a load-carrying Unimog can still be driven safely at 26 km/h when doing a circular turn on a simulated black ice surface. The more well-balanced the axle load distribution is, the better the vehicle keeps to its tracks.

Well protected
Its fully spring-cushioned chassis, driving cab with 4-point mounting which has been tested according to ECE R 29/2 and air-sprung comfort driving seat situated behind the front axle, enable the operator to be relaxed and concentrated while working long periods on the job. According to the ADAC test, the low vibrations comply with job health and safety regulations and make work for the operator less tiring.

If there should by any chance be a rear-end collision in moving traffic, the impact energy is absorbed by the Unimog vehicle’s sturdy frame construction, its extremely well-positioned ballast weight and the 2.40 metre long platform to the greatest extent possible before it reaches the driving seat. The driver also has the best possible protection with his 3-point seat belt and integrated headrest which comply with truck standards.

Please note: Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, has produced a DVD with an information booklet dealing with the topic ‘The Unimog and Safety’ which is available online: www.mercedes-benz.com/unimog-sicherheit

Source: Daimler AG

It has an impressive, dynamic and extremely expressive “face” corresponding to the future form language of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle design. The design concept combines the past and future of the Unimog in an extremely avantgardist way. “We have taken the Unimog-DNA with its unique concept features to 100 percent into consideration when creating this design concept,” says Bertrand Janssen from the Daimler department for commercial vehicle design.

Furthermore, this design concept gives the observer sufficient room for thought to interpret its technical innovations. To cut a long story short, it is literally an unsually idea to make one think about the Universal-Motor-Gerät (Unimog) of the future. And Yaris Pürsün, Director of the Mercedes-Benz Plant at Wörth and Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, is visibly enthusiastic about this new interpretation of the Unimog idea by the commercial vehicle designers and the project team responsible. “The result is a complete success. At Mercedes Benz Special Trucks we decided to construct a design concept because we are of the opinion that such a vehicle will act as a bridge between the progressive strength of self-renewal that has distinguished the Unimog programme for 60 years and the future design of the coming generations of products.”

The concept vehicle shows that even after 60 years – and including the 26 product ranges during this period – the Unimog is still able to renew itself. Just as its innovative power has left its mark on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog and driven it forward until the present day, the “Concept Design 60 Years Unimog” has shown impressively that a great deal of innovation is still possible in the engineering of future Unimog generations. This concept vehicle will no doubt surprise everyone who sees it, experts and enthusiasts, users and customers alike.

The design concept is based on the Unimog U 5000 chassis with its outstanding off-road capabilities. The traditional and well-known unique selling-point of the Unimog, its coil springs, are painted red in the concept vehicle, whereas Bertrand Janssen and his team have let its hulk of a bonnet with its typical Mercedes-Benz line and the mudguards shine out in a fresh green. When selecting the colours used, the designers in Bertrand Janssen’s team were inspired by an unusual amphibian, the poison dart frog: Just like the Unimog it is also extremely mobile both in water and on land. And furthermore in this point it is once more the link between past and future as green was the colour of the very first Unimog and numerous follow-up generations of the vehicle. The headlights are like stage lights, which focus the beam of light. The clearly visible, sweeping lines of the frame have been finished with high-grade trims cut from aluminium blocks. The four same-size wheels make a strong optical impression with their five star alu-rim design. Bertrand Janssen emphasises, ” On no account did we work in an atmosphere where our ideas were divorced from reality. Here we have a vehicle which is puristic, but still clearly true to concept – with the claim, that some of its details will turn up in coming product ranges in future. We continued to take up the most important Unimog features which have characterised the vehicle for the last 60 years and which will also characterise it in future – features such as portal axles, coil springs or the frame concept.” The design concept “60 Years Unimog” is not however a prototype for a new product range. But it becomes quite clear that the Mercedes-Benz Unimog will still continue to have an innovative character in future and will still possess a high degree of versatility in design and type of construction. It is after all a unique vehicle concept.

Michael Dietz, Head of Sales and Marketing Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks makes it clear. “During the last 60 years our Unimog has made a name for itself worldwide as an ambassador and image-carrier for the brand Mercedes-Benz. Whether working for numerous municipalities and contractors in Europe, under extreme conditions exploring for oil in the Taklamakan desert in China or for example as a motorhome “down under”, the design concept is a forward projection of these unique Unimog-DNA and is impressive proof of the innovative power of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks.” Because of this, Yaris Pürsün pays the whole team a compliment. “Each of them brought his own competence to the project to the best of his ability. From the very beginning there was a unique spirt of cooperation. It has been a very emotional project which we all became very attached to.” And in one very important point the design concept for the jubilee year 2011 and the very first Mercedes-Benz Unimog of the product range 2010 which rolled off the band on 3 Juni 1951 at the Gaggenau plant have something very obvious in common: Both vehicles are open – really genuine cabrios.

Source: Daimler AG

In order to be able to collect timber efficiently from the forest and deliver it to timber specialists a long way away despite rising diesel prices, Seiner uses a combination of two different methods of transport: His Unimog is fitted with a timber crane superstructure to collect tree trunks from the forest, and then a Unimog truck-trailer unit delivers the goods to the customer.

So that he can avoid wasting time reloading, Seiner does not put the tree trunks on stanchion truck-trailer combinations but in roll-off containers. “This solution allows me to kill two birds with one stone,”says the man from Ilmenau. “In this way no difficulties arise when securing a load with two metre trunks lying crosswise to the direction of the road;also it is virtually impossible to overload the vehicle and there are a lot fewer empty runs as there is always scrap metal, rubble or other debris to be carried on the return journey.”In addition he saves fuel. The Unimog U 400 with its 4.2 l four-cylinder 130 kW (177 HP) diesel engine uses a lot less fuel for loading and transporting than a powerful timber truck for long distance trips. The man from Thuringia is more than satisfied with its diesel consumption of about eleven litres per operating hour.

The Unimog with its very ingenious hydraulic system is vital for Autotechnik Seiner. There is hardly any other vehicle which can be used for so many jobs as this comparatively small power pack. Where a normal truck does not even arrive, this sturdy, manoeuvrable four-wheel drive still manages to get through. This is really appreciated by skilled tool-maker and car mechanic Seiner when travelling over snowy or muddy forest roads.

“It doesn’t matter what the weather is like, I can collect timber from any corner of the Thuringia Forest with my tough mate from Mercedes-Benz. But I don’t let the container roll off the fixed centre trailer using the hooking device until my 30-tonne truck-trailer combination has once more got firm ground under its wheels. The roll-off loader with its trailer is there ready and waiting to take on two full containers at the same time which makes the transport by road to wood pulp or chipboard plants, or sawmill very cost-effective,”explained Seiner. He goes all year round with his U 400 to collect wood from the forest district run by the Thuringian Forest Authority Paulinzella which covers a total area of almost 50,000 acres of woodland and provides a harvest of about 78,500 cubic yards of wood a year.

A multitude of attachable implements for various kinds of work
When Seiners doesn’t happen to be using his “Universal-Motor-Gerät” (shortened to: Unimog) for moving wood, he uses his four-wheel drive vehicle for winter services to clear snow from roads, forest trails or the nearby ICE railway track construction site. In addition he uses it to clean roads, mow verges and green areas, build trails, help on construction sites or tow cars. For all these different types of jobs, the enthusiastic Unimog fan has a whole range of implements which can be attached or mounted to his vehicle such as a snow plough, gritter, water tank, cutters or crane. Some of his atttachments are produced at his headquarters in Geilsdorf which is close to Ilmenau. The equipment transforms the Unimog U 400 in no time at all into a suitable workhorse which is simply born to achieve.

60 Years Jubilee for the Mercedes-Benz Unimog
Sixty years ago, to be exact on June 3rd, 1951, the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog rolled off the assembly line in Gaggenau. A unique vehicle concept with outstanding off-road mobility due to its four-wheel drive and fast driving features for road use had come into being. Daimler AG is celebrating this jubilee in 2011 with a multitude of events. These include a huge rally of historical and current Unimog models at the Mercedes-Benz Wörth Plant on Saturday, June 4th. Detailed information about the event as well as how to register for it can be found online: www.mercedes-benz.com/unimog-60jahre. On Sonntag, June 5th there will be jubilee celebrations at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau (www.unimog-museum.com).

Source: Daimler AG

The Unimog U 20 is especially suitable for fire protection due to its compact dimensions (wheelbase 2.7 m, vehicle width 2.15 m and – in this case – a vehicle length of 5.50 m and height of 2.90 m) as well as a turning circle of 12.6 m which is similar to that of a car. This is extremely positive when driving along narrow forest trails or turning and manoeuvring at very close quarters. In any case, the Unimog also has outstanding off-road mobility: permanent four-wheel drive, portal axles securing high ground clearance, differential locks on both axles as well as a lockable longitudinal differential.

Speedy operations even over the most difficult terrain
Great angles of approach and departure with 30 degrees at the rear and 27 degrees at the front allow the Unimog to get quickly to where it is needed even over very difficult off-road conditions. In addition, the modules forming the body are so placed that the weight is ideally distributed on the vehicle which has a maximum weight of 9.3 t. The water tank with enough capacity for 2000 litres of water is positioned directly behind the cab, and the technical firefighting equipment is fitted behind it. It has been equipped with special tyres suitable for both on-road and off-road conditions. The four cylinder in-line engine of the Unimog U 20 gives a perfomance of 110 kW (150 hp).

The transmission with its eight forward and six reverse gears is especially suitable for crawling at low speeds off-road as well as for “pump and roll” operations, i.e. extinguishing fires while driving. As an option, the Unimog U 20 is also available with a powerful 130 kW (177 hp) engine. Its modern cab makes the fire crew’s (1/2) work easier with its comfortable fitttings and cleverly-devised ergonomic design.

Making the most of the water
The body manufacturer Gimaex-Schmitz has equipped the firefighting tank vehicle 10/20-1 with its renowned One Seven compressed air foam system. It is capable of turning the 2000 litres of water carried into a total of 14,000 litres of extinguishing agent, one very important aspect when considering the problematic water supply available for forest fires. The system uses compressed air to add a foaming agent to the water to create seven bubbles of foam from one drop of water. One great advantage of this system is that large quantities of extinguishing agent can be transported by a compact and light vehicle. The burning objects are deeply penetrated by the extinguishing agent so that they are well-soaked. During forest fires, firefighting crews are often confronted with fires smouldering under the surface. The pump driven by the vehicle’s engine has a rated output of 1000 l/min at 10 bar. The extinguishing agent is sprayed through two rapid intervention reels with a maximum range of 40 m. A front winch with a maximum traction of 5400 kg rounds off the equipment.

Unimog with firefighting tradition
Using Unimog vehicles for firefighting has a long tradition. All over the world, Unimog vehicles with outstanding off-road capabilities such as product ranges U 4000, U 5000 and implement carriers U 300/U 400/U 500 and the Unimog U 20 are to be found as faithful and time-tried helpers, not just fighting forest fires, but also used for fire prevention in opencast mining, industrial plants, at airports and on rails.

60 years jubilee for Mercedes-Benz Unimog
The Unimog is celebrating two great jubilees this year: Exactly 60 years ago, to be exact on 3 June 1951, the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog rolled off the line in Gaggenau, and in December 2010 the 10,000th vehicle of product range U 300/U 400/U 500 rolled off the line in the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth. At the time a unique vehicle concept was created with outstanding off-road mobility due to its four-wheel drive and fast-driving features for on-road conditions. Since then, the Unimog has not only proved its value for winter services, in caring for green areas as well as for various horticultural and landscape gardening activities, but also for fighting forest fires, planting trees, digging ditches, drilling holes in the ground or even for shunting work on rails or disaster intervention over impassable terrain.
Altogether more than 380,000 units of the “Univeral-Motor-Gerät (tool) ” rolled off the lines during the last 60 years. The Unimog used to be produced exclusively in Gaggenau, but since 2002 it has been manufactured in Wörth. The Daimler AG is celebrating this jubilee year 2011 with a wide variety of events.

Source: Daimler AG

One of the most urgent tasks confronting local authorities after a long winter is the repair of frost damage on roads and paths. Studies have shown that one in two roads in Germany has suffered damage to a greater or lesser degree. Not only is this considered unpleasant by road users and responsible parties on the grounds of comfort or visual appearance; it sometimes also represents a safety hazard. Instead of repairing such damage merely on a temporary basis, above all on account of the absence or insufficiency of financial resources, with the problem then reappearing the following winter if not sooner, the Unimog, when equipped with appropriate implements, provides a permanent solution that is also financially attractive to local authorities.

Asphalt cutter implement
The broad range of implements tailored to the U 300- 500 model series includes the ASF500/100 MF asphalt cutter, an implement specially suited for the repair of damaged asphalt surfaces on hardstands, roads and surfaced paths. The basic vehicle simply needs to have been fitted with certain equipment, such as an implement mounting plate front, power take-off shaft or rear mounted auxiliary gear unit – equipment that is already present on the majority of vehicles used by local authorities. The asphalt cutter has a milling drum with 50 individual cutting bits of hard-wearing steel that mills the affected area up to a width of 500 mm and an infinitely adjustable depth of between 0 and 100 mm, with the arising dust being contained by water sprinklers. The milled material is deposited below the vehicle and is usually removed by hand, with the resulting clean asphalt surface then being filled with suitable material and compacted, a task that can be performed by an optionally available compacting roller, which is fitted either at the front (directly on the cutter, if desired) or at the rear.

Depending on the condition of the road surface, the cutter can handle between 120 and max. 500 m per hour, which means that over one kilometre of damaged surface can be processed and restored to roadworthy condition in one working day. In addition to partial asphalt repair, the possible applications of this ingenious Unimog implement include the precision edge-cutting and trimming of ragged road-surface edges as well as the levelling of bulges in the road surface as a result of frost damage or tree root growth. The advantages over previously adopted solutions, such as the use of special-purpose machines, are plain to see: no low loader is required for transporting the special-purpose machine; the existing load-carrying capacity of the Unimog platform is not affected and can be used to transport additional tools, accessories or materials; extra benefits of the system include short set-up times, fast working in flowing traffic as well as low maintenance and long tool life.

Optionally available: verge cutter
An ideal addition to municipal fleets − and also a perfect way to make full use of the vehicles in the period between winter maintenance and summertime mowing, cutting and wood-chipping operations − is the verge cutter implement (BF 1000 S or SW). This allows worn or damaged roadside verges to be cut in a single operation up to a width of 1000 mm. The standard-equipment transverse worm conveyor simultaneously transports the cut material to the verge, where it can be reused. This means that it is no longer necessary for foreign material to be delivered to the site and laid, something which, quite apart from dispensing with the need to use and transport new material, is entirely consistent with the principle of conservation of resources, recycling and environmental protection. The “SW” version of the implement features an integrated compacting roller, by means of which the material that has been deposited at the verge is compacted to a variously adjustable thickness and a tidy, stable verge is restored. The verge cutter has 24 cutting tools which ensure the fast and uniform removal of material. Depending on the previous condition of the surface, working rates of between 4 and 5 kilometres per shift are possible.

The verge cutter is attached to the Unimog’s front plate. In the operating position, the cutting head is extended to the side by up to 800 mm and is thus capable of processing an area up to 1800 mm next to the edge of the road surface. These implements make the universally usable Unimog even more versatile, thereby reducing the burden on public- and private-sector customers, whose work is not always easy.

60 years of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog
It was 60 years ago, on 3 June 1951 to be precise, that the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog rolled off the production line in Gaggenau. With its superb off-road capability thanks to all-wheel drive and its high-speed on-road capability, the Unimog represented a unique vehicle concept. Daimler AG is celebrating this anniversary in 2011 with a number of different events. For example, on Saturday, 4 June, there will be a large gathering of historical and current Unimogs at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth. Details of the event and information on how to attend are available on the Internet at: www.mercedes-benz.com/unimog-60jahre. On Sunday, 5 June, there will be a party at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau (www.unimog-museum.com).

Source: Daimler AG

Everything that has gone into building up the Unimog’s legendary reputation can be experienced at this event: its great versatility, the unique vehicle concept and the durability of the vehicles. The enthusiasm for this “Universal-Motor-Gerät” – which resulted in its popular name “Unimog” – started almost at the beginning and still carries on today, both in the everyday world of vehicle owners and drivers as well as among those thousands of fans who are proud of their hobby of having a classic Unimog of their very own. Precisely 60 such vehicles will take part on 4 June in the Unimog rally, which will go from the previous production location in Gaggenau via the Unimog Museum to the plant in Wörth, where the Unimog is produced today.

Off-road course, “Old against New”, tour of the plant
The anniversary celebration at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth will feature a host of programme attractions. Alongside a large exhibition of historical Unimog vehicles, there will be spectacular demonstrations on the off-road course, a demonstration comparing “Old against New”, a show to demonstrate “Unimog versatility” and an opportunity to tour the plant.

For detailed information about the event as well as information on how to sign up to attend, visit www.mercedes-benz.com/unimog-60jahre.

Birthday party at the Unimog Museum
On Sunday, 5 June, the celebrations will continue at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau with an extensive programme of festivities for the entire family. Exceptional demonstrations with Unimog vehicles, specialist presentations, book-signings by famous authors of books on the Unimog and activities based on the Unimog as a model vehicle will provide for plenty of variety in the period between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Among other things, unique model vehicles and remotely controlled Unimogs will be presented and explained in detail. A large collectors’ fair will be held under the theme “Everything with the Star”. Models in all scales, brochures, badges and accessories with Unimog symbols will offer an almost unbelievable diversity. The museum itself, which was opened five years ago, will also play its part with a special edition of model vehicles and an anniversary badge. (More information is available at www.unimog-museum.com; dealers can register for the collectors’ fair by phoning 07225/ 981310.)

Source: Daimler AG

Mongolians love their freedom, and greatly enjoy excursions into the varied natural surroundings of their high-altitude homeland. Whereas only the horse was once a suitable means of transport for this purpose, two businessmen friends in Ulan-Bator – one of them owns a brewery where beer is brewed to a German recipe, while the other became wealthy as a shareholder in coal and copper mines – decided in favour of the Zetros as a more modern and luxurious way of negotiating the terrain. The two friends use their unique jumbo off-roaders for multi-day excursions into the Altai mountains, for example, where they hunt for wolves with an eagle.

“Chassis load capacity” of 16 tonnes
As a three-axle truck with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 25 tonnes – up to 27 tonnes for export – the Zetros has a payload (“chassis load capacity” without body) or around 16 tonnes. The powertrain and chassis of the Zetros are based on the Actros and Axor series. It was developed at the Wörth plant, where it is also built. All variants of the Zetros are powered by the OM 926 LA 7.2-litre 6-cylinder in-line engine developing an output of 240 kW (326 hp) and an impressive maximum torque of 1300 Nm from 1200 to 1600 rpm. A choice of two transmissions is available: the standard unit is the hydraulically/pneumatically shifted G 131-9 nine-speed transmission (eight forward gears + crawler) with a direct-ratio top gear, with a six-speed Allison 3000 SP/PR fully-automatic transmission available as an option. The VG 1700 transfer case for the permanent all-wheel drive has proved its worth for decades. At 1.690 the off-road ratio is a good 20 percent lower than in the Actros and Axor all-wheel drive models (which have an off-road ratio of 1.403). This makes extremely slow speeds possible, an important attribute e.g. on very steep downhill stretches. Pulling power is increased by around 70 percent compared to the on-road gears. Torque distribution between the front and rear axle(s) is 1:3.21 in the splitter box, and 1:1 if the differential lock is engaged.

Three mechanical differential locks as standard
The Zetros is equipped with three mechanical differential locks as standard, and these can be easily selected by the driver using a rotary control. This rotary control shows the logical sequence in which the locks should be engaged as the terrain becomes more difficult: first inter-axle, then inter-wheel at the rear and finally inter-wheel at the front. Considering the positive attributes of this all-wheel drive cab-behind-engine vehicle, it is no wonder that the Zetros series has met with great interest from the energy supply sector, exploration and fire/emergency services. It combines outstanding all-terrain capabilities with equally excellent off-road ride comfort, and these advantages also convince private customers looking for a base vehicle with which to undertake longer journeys off the beaten track.

Accordingly two examples of the Mercedes-Benz Zetros have been converted into hunting and expedition vehicles according to customer specifications by the body specialist Hartmann in Alsfeld and the interior equipment specialist Huenerkopf in Neukirchen.

In each case the base vehicle was the Mercedes-Benz Zetros 2733 A with 6×6 drive (wheelbase 5350 mm) and the standard cab. The cab’s features include a padded sleeping berth for the driver, an air conditioning system, a 24 V audio system with CD player, a CD changer, a Bluetooth hands-free system and a 7-inch touch­screen to which a reversing camera is connected. A carrier system with a load capacity of up to 100 kg is installed on the cab roof. Four auxiliary spotlights and a twin air horn are mounted on this carrier, and the radiator grille houses four flashlights in red and blue. At the rear there is a carrier for two spare wheels, with a dedicated lifting system which also enables cargo to be hoisted onto the cab roof. The reversing camera is able to activate additional spotlights at the rear for safe manoevring at night. An adequate operating range in remote areas is provided by diesel tanks holding 300 and 200 litres.

In addition to difficult road conditions, the body and interior conversion work had to take into account the very special climatic conditions in the desert, where the vehicles are to be used. Extreme temperature fluctuations require particularly good insulation, and all the interior features were planned and installed to ensure that they are able to withstand the punishing conditions of off-road operations. The furniture was specially designed for use in tropical and desert regions.

Quadbike in the rear vehicle bay
Both vehicles have substantially identical bodies, though one of the two examples also has a rear vehicle bay able to accommodate a quadbike. The luxury long-distance off-roaders have an imposing length of 10.70 m (plus 60 cm for the model with rear vehicle bay), a width of 2.70 m and a height of 4.20 m.

The living area is a fully-insulated sandwich construction with walls, roof and floor of prefabricated sandwich panels insulated with hard PU foam and bonded together. The body structure is reinforced with additional edge sections. The floor and roof have a thickness of around 100 mm, while the side walls are approx. 50 mm thick. The complete body structure is painted in the colour of the cab. The 800 mm wide entrance to the living area (710 x 255 x 200 cm) is on the right-hand side of the vehicle. Entry is assisted by integrated steps and grab handles, and the robust high-security lock with triple action can be operated from both inside and outside. The windows of the living area are double-glazed, can all be opened and are fitted with mosquito nets and roller blinds.

Luxurious bathroom with marble floor and underfloor heating
The interior is clearly divided into different functional areas. The bedroom is located in the rear, and the comfortable leather seating group for four to six people is in the front. There is also a luxurious bathroom with a marble floor and underfloor heating, as well as a large galley. In addition to the bedroom in the rear there is sleeping space available in the living area itself. The table in the seating group can be electrically raised and lowered, and when lowered it creates an additional, large bed.

The galley is fully equipped with a ceramic hob, microwave with grill, refrigerator/freezer, bar and coffee machine. The sink has a hot and cold water supply, and a precisely fitted dinner set for eight people is also on board. For outdoor use the vehicles have mobile twin-burner gas cookers with two 11 kg gas bottles. The bathroom has a separate shower cubicle, a WC/bidet combination, washbasin and three-door vanity unit.

46-inch flatscreen monitor
The bedroom is separated from the living area by a partition wall with integrated flatscreen TV monitors (40-inch and 46-inch, one each facing the bedroom and seating group). In line with the intended use as a hunting vehicle, a safe for valuables (400 x 400 x 300 mm) and a gunsafe for hunting rifles are permanently integrated into the interior. Neither is there any lack of entertain­ment, as the vehicles are equipped with a SAT receiver with an electrically self-aligning SAT dish, a DVD/CD player, an MP3 player, a Bose hi-fi sound system and a Mac Mini plus W-LAN router.

The onboard technology is also very comprehensive. It is controlled and monitored by a central console with separately fused circuits. A water-cooled diesel generator ensures indepen­dence from the power grid, with energy stored by a battery set with four 220 Ah batteries. The batteries are charged by an automatic charger connected to the generator, or via the solar panels on the roof consisting of two modules with 80 watts each. All the electrical equipment is connected to the 230 V onboard network, and is supplied via an automatic 24/230 V transformer.

The air conditioning system powered by the generator is separately and variably adjustable for all the rooms in the body interior. There are also electric ventilators in the bathroom and galley. A comfortably warm living area is assured by a diesel-powered heater which can be operated both when stationary and on the move.
Separate water systems supply drinking water and water for the shower/toilet, with a total volume of around 250 litres (volume of waste water tank around 100 litres), and the drinking water passes through a water filter. A separate pump replenishes the fresh water tank from outside, while a 230 V hot water boiler holding 20 litres provides hot water for the galley and bathroom. If the weather permits, it is also possible to use the exterior shower.

Especially as a 6×6 variant with six driven wheels, the Mercedes-Benz Zetros represents an unrivalled vehicle concept providing outstanding mobility and first-class traction.

Source: Daimler AG

“This winter was particularly hard,” confirmed Seiner when talking about the past weeks and he gave his Unimog 400’s steering wheel a grateful pat for not letting him down despite “the incredible amounts of snow”.
The man from Ilmenau is full of praise. “It is perfect for driving through the woods and extremely reliable although it ‘s been working for us for almost seven years.” One glance at the mileage on the mileometer makes this more than clear: almost 9,380 miles (150,000 kilometers).

The Thuringer is quite satisfied with a diesel consumption of about 11 l per working hour. After all, this robust power machine also has to move the entire winter equipment (snowplough at the front, spreader at the rear) which amounts to quite a number of additional tonnes. Despite this load, “it is more economic than a truck and uses practically no oil at all,” confirms its owner. The 130 kW ( 177 HP) strong U 400 also makes sure that the nearby ICE-railway line construction site is kept clear of snow, just like the city’s recreation areas.

A Multitude of Jobs
However, even when winter is over Seiner’s Unimog doesn’t get a chance to rest as it is kept busy fetching wood from the forests, cleaning roads with its mounted water tanks, changing over to its mounted crane to help out on construction sites or simply towing away parking offenders. “I have built a special tandem trailer for this job,” explains Seiner. He also has a quite a lot of other equipment to fit on his Unimog which he made himself. His Unimog is absolutely „indispensable” for him, “because it can be used for almost anything – and especially in places that are not accessible with a truck,” he adds.

Originally Jens Seiner leased the U 400 (built in 2001) as a used vehicle, but then he managed to arrange follow-up financing and for a long time now his sturdy helper has belonged entirely to him. Before that he had already bought a 1974 Unimog. As it only has a small 90 HP engine its main use is for forestry work, but, “it is still very obliging and reliable,” says the trained toolmaker.

And it would be difficult for Seiner, who is in his mid-forties, to have to do without his Unimog in the mountainous and wooded region where he lives. Later, when he needs a replacement, he would like to have, “an additional 100 HP and a Powershift transmission. That would be perfect!“

Source: Daimler AG

The head of procurement at BwFuhrparkService GmbH, Uwe Günther, accepted the symbolic Unimog U 5000 keys from Michael Diez, head of government sales in the Mercedes-Benz sales organisation for Germany. Unimog deliveries are distributed to the appropriate armed forces locations in Germany and the logistics office via the mobility centres of BwFPS. The Unimog has a long tradition with the armed forces, starting in 1956 with the Unimog S and successfully continuing with tens of thousands of vehicles delivered right up to the present day.

The all-terrain Unimog U 5000 for the armed forces vehicle fleet service
A legendary vehicle with unsurpassed versatility, the Unimog U 5000 is a representative of the all-terrain Unimog series for difficult assignments far from the roads and beaten track. The Unimog is the most capable all-terrain vehicle in the gross vehicle weight class between 7.5 t and 12.5 t. Thanks to its outstanding suspension and running-gear, the Unimog is ideal for extremely tough off-road requirements and various military assignments.

The Unimog U 5000 for the German armed forces vehicle fleet service is supplied in the version with a long 3850 mm wheelbase. It is powered by the Mercedes-Benz OM 924 LA diesel engine developing 160 kW (218 hp) in the Euro-5 version.

The all-terrain Unimog U 5000 owes its high torsional flexibility to a flexible frame design incorporating two U-section side members with welded tubular cross-members. Standard equipment includes portal axles at the front and rear with differential locks, wheel hub drive, wishbones, a torque tube, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and stabilisers at the front and rear. The portal ­axles and the cranked frame with a diagonal torsional flexibility of up to 600 mm ensure a high ground clearance with a low centre of gravity at all times, while keeping all the wheels on the ground. The long travel of the coil springs allow even hazardous cargo to be safely transported over the most difficult terrain without damage. With a torque distribution of 50/50 between the front and rear axles, the vehicle is able to manage uphill/downhill gradients of up to 100% and an angle of inclination up to 38° without difficulty.

The all-terrain Unimog chassis of the U 5000 combines traditional Unimog attributes such as solidity, robustness, durability, reliability and an almost legendary all-wheel drive concept with the very latest engine and transmission technology and ergonomics at the highest level. The modernised all-steel cab with a roof hatch is also available as a crewcab. Like the engine, transmission, platform and body it has three mounting points, compensating every vehicle movement.

Bodybuilder Sonntag produces the non-distorting BwFPS standard platform
Mercedes-Benz supplies the Unimog chassis for the 650 Unimog U 5000 units. The bodybuilder Sonntag in Lennestadt, a longstanding partner of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks and a development partner for bodies, produces the standard BwFPS platform and is responsible for the vehicle body. Both companies, Mercedes-Benz and Sonntag, have cooperated very successfully in completing this project for the German armed forces. The bodies are not rigidly bolted in place, but rather have a deformation-free connection with the frame made possible by a double mounting at three points. The BwFPS vehicle has a 4-point Twistlock demounting system which makes rapid body exchange possible.

Mercedes-Benz military vehicles – the complete vehicle family from 0.5 t– 110 t payload
Mercedes-Benz AG offers a full range of vehicles specifically for the military, with payloads from 0.5 t to 110 t. This range is backed up by the experience and expertise of the world’s largest and oldest commercial vehicle manufacturer.

In all commercial vehicle classes, the range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles with special military equipment excels with excellent off-road performance and a fording depth of 800 ‑ 1195 mm. Derived from the civilian truck variants, the range comprises military payload classes from 0.7 t for the G‑Class, 0.5 t to 2.0 t for the Mercedes-Benz vans, 3 ‑ 5 t for the Atego, 5 – 7 t for the Axor and 7 t to 18 t for the various two, three or four-axle Actros models.

The dedicated portfolio of military vehicles complies with military specifications such as all-wheel drive with single tyres, first-class off-road capabilities, ballistic protection, air and rail loadability, fording depth up to 1195 mm, blackout lighting system, roof hatch, tyre pressure control system etc. This portfolio extends from the G-Model to the Unimog series U 4000 to U 5000, the Zetros and the heavy Mercedes-Benz Actros, Axor and Atego all-wheel drive trucks.

All-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz vehicles are designed for maximum off-road capabilities. All-wheel drive, inter-wheel and inter-axle locks and high-torque engines ensure that even extreme driving conditions are manageable. The technology used in Mercedes-Benz all-wheel drive vehicles ensures a climbing ability of up to 80 %, and in the case of the Unimog even up to 100 %.

Source: Daimler AG

The payload (excluding body) in the case of the two-axle models is almost ten tonnes, while for the three-axle models (also excluding body) it is 16 tonnes. The entire vehicle and components have been tested and verified for the most difficult off-road applications in accordance with the demanding quality standards of Mercedes-Benz, using simulations, test bench trials and also extreme summer and winter road tests. The driver’s cab of the cab-behind-engine Mercedes-Benz Zetros has been newly developed, while the powertrain and chassis are based primarily on the Actros and Axor model series. Thanks to this modular construction principle, customers are able to enjoy benefits in terms of cost-savings, service and quality. The Mercedes-Benz Zetros was developed at the Wörth plant and is also produced there.

Source: Daimler AG

Unimog U 20: from implement carrier to pump water tender
The compact Unimog U 20 is familiar as a versatile, high-traction implement carrier with all-wheel drive. Now it is opening up a new segment as a pump water tender for the fire services. It corresponds to the draft standard for light-duty vehicles TLF 10/20, with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 9.3 t, a compact fire-fighting vehicle with a maximum pump output of at least 1000 l water per minute and at least 2000 l of water for fire fighting on board.

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Thanks to its compact dimensions (vehicle width 2.15 m / turning circle 12.6 m), the Unimog U 20 is ideal for narrow urban streets. At the same time the all-wheel drive makes it a vehicle that is predestined for off-road applications. The first Unimog with cab-over-engine design offers full Unimog technology: portal axles, single tyres, coil springs and permanent all-wheel drive with up to 16 forward gears and excellent low-speed handling characteristics.

As an implement carrier, the Unimog U 20 is used both for snow clearing/gritting and for mowing. With its tipper platform, it serves where required as a pack mule, transporting materials. Two attachment areas, an implement mounting space, the front mounting plate and the front PTO shaft and transmission PTO qualify it for a multitude of implements and tasks.

Unimog U 500: from implement carrier to agricultural logistics
As an implement carrier used for public service operations it is an all-rounder: mowing, clearing, gritting, cutting, cleaning, sweeping, transporting – the Unimog model series U 300 / U 400 / U 500 knows no limits. Thanks to permanent all-wheel drive with reduction gearing and classic Unimog technology, with portal axles, single tyres and coil springs, off-road terrain is not a barrier either. Its specialities include a tyre pressure control system, torque converter clutch or a hydrostatic drive.

The Unimog U 500 has now found an application in agricultural logistics: with its off and on-road skills, it is ideal for transporting biomass between field and industrial facility. With a permissible gross combination weight of up to 39 t and a payload of 24 t, the Unimog U 500 offers comparable capabilities to heavy-duty semitrailer combinations. It also features all-wheel drive and heavy-tread wide-base tyres which ensure minimal damage to the ground when driving off-road. It is also exceptionally economical, as neutral tests carried out by the DLG (German Agricultural Society) have shown.

If licensed as an agricultural tractor, the Unimog is permitted to pull two trailers, drives toll-free on the autobahn and is not subject to the Sunday driving ban. It can also carry out numerous other tasks as an implement carrier in agricultural operations.

Unimog U 5000: unsurpassed off-road capability
For many it is the Unimog par excellence: a heavy-duty model series U 4000/5000 Unimog is a vehicle with exciting abilities. Its unsurpassed off-road capability and extreme load capacity qualify it as a highly mobile off-road implement carrier. All-wheel drive, differential locks, up to 16 forward gears, a torsionally flexible frame, single tyres, tremendous ground clearance thanks to portal axles – the Unimog is a superlative off-road vehicle.

This also makes it the ideal vehicle for energy suppliers. Pipeline construction, cable-laying work and erecting masts on every terrain, getting where it needs to be thanks to tremendous traction. With its wide-base tyres and the tyre pressure control system, it avoids ground damage. The vehicle’s capabilities in this area are demonstrated at the IAA by a compact Unimog U 5000 work unit, equipped with, among other things, a crane, self-recovery winch, a rear-extending frame winch and a stabiliser for working on inclines, clamshell bucket, auger attachment and work basket produced by the company Werner. All implements can be carried on the platform, making the Unimog particularly flexible for working purposes.

A new feature in this context is a factory-fitted pre-installation for a crane. It includes standardised interfaces and special package of the equipment in order to offer space for the crane support.

Econic: versatile low-entry specialist with gas drive system
The Mercedes-Benz Econic is a professional for all municipal tasks and distribution transport. The basis is a tailor-made design with low-floor cab, fully air-sprung chassis and automatic transmission. The available versatility is impressive: low/high cab, two, three or four axles, solo truck or semitrailer tractor, diesel or gas drive system.

Because it is primarily used in urban applications, environmental friendliness is a major focus with the Econic. While the Econic NGT with gas drive already meets the voluntary EEV emissions standard, the Econic with BlueTec diesel engine now also undercuts the EEV limit – simply by means of internal modifications to the engine and without particulate filters.

The Econic NGT uses natural gas or operates CO2-neutrally with biogas. Its turbo engine has an output of 205 kW (279 hp) and reaches a maximum torque of 1100 Nm. Mercedes-Benz has further upgraded the Econic as standard: an axle load measuring device for each individual axle, three co-driver seats and a roof stowage compartment are just some of the numerous details.

At the IAA an Econic NGT will be displaying its skills as a catering vehicle in airfield use. Because of its low cab, the Econic is suitable for a diverse range of aircraft sizes. At the same time the customer benefits from straightforward licensing of the vehicle for road use.

Zetros: all-wheel cab-behind-engine truck for the most heavy-duty applications
The Mercedes-Benz Zetros combines the off-road capability of a Unimog with the load capacity of a heavy-duty truck. The Zetros’s forte lies in its design as a cab-behind engine truck, allowing compact and low contours, easy entry and exit and simple servicing. In addition, because the cab of a cab-behind-engine truck is positioned between the axles, it offers notably improved control and significantly higher ride comfort than a cab-over-engine truck, particularly off-road and on poor-quality roads or tracks.

The components of the Zetros are tried and tested, whether the in-line six cylinder with 7.2 l displacement and 240 kW (326 hp) output, manual transmission and transfer case or the planetary axles with parabolic springs and drum brakes. The Zetros delivers outstanding off-road capabilities thanks to permanent all-wheel drive, three differential locks, single tyres and suspension which is specially tuned for this usage.

The Zetros is available as a two-axle or three-axle model with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 18 t or 27 t. A new variant is the Zetros 4×4 with twin-tyred rear axle. This increases the technically permissible axle load to 13 t and with it the off-road payload.

Source: Daimler AG

In spite of this, Astra is well aware that 126 of the overall 220 national road tunnels do not yet come up to the latest safety standards, or only partly so. Of the total of 1.2 billion Swiss francs allocated by the Bern Parliament for improvements to the safety of these man-made structures, by the end of 2010 thirty-eight million francs will have already been used for the section of national road A 13 including the Cassanawald Tunnel and the connection to Nufenen. Among other things, the construction work includes applying fireproof mortar to the tunnel vault. The work is being done by the Luzern Construction Company Marti AG.

Unimog Shunts the Construction Train through the Road Tunnel
Marti AG has brought its construction plant to Bundnerland installed especially for this contract on four Swiss Railway (SBB) freight wagons as only the Mercedes-Benz Unimog is capable of moving them up here into the Rheinwald valley along the narrow upper reaches of the Hinterrhein river. The heart of the work train is the 19 m long “machine wagon” which carries machines for wet and dry spraying as well as four metre high screens to provide protection during spraying work. The second freight wagon is fitted with a permanently fitted concrete mixer, the third carries the compressors and finally the fourth wagon carries silos for construction materials.

While being used for driving, shunting or as a train in the Cassanawald Tunnel, the Unimog has to be “wrapped up”. Athough it is an incredibly resilient vehicle – with its 40 years of working life, this vintage Unimog is still untiring on the job – it has to be protected from the very diluted concrete which is sprayed on the walls of the tunnel. The spraying machines apply a four centimetre thick layer of fireproof mortar which can withstand tempera-tures of up to 2,000 °C. If there is a fire in the tunnel, this layer of mortar is supposed to prevent the concrete vault from being destroyed as the vault roof is of supreme importance for the overall stability of the tunnel structure.

Altogether the work train is 40 m long and weighs about 60 t. The “engine” is a vintage Mercedes-Benz Unimog which used to belong to the Swiss Army and has now been fitted with road-rail equipment by the road-rail specialist company Zwiehoff from Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria). This additional equipment means that the vehicle can be operated just as easily on rails as along the road – and it also makes it unbeatable for cost-effective and versatile operations such as shunting or getting to de-railed trains and on-tracking. The Unimog shunts the work train to where it is needed which means that it has to cope with a track profile with gradients of up to 3 percent within the tunnel itself. As it works in the tunnel with its engine running it is absolutely imperative that the Unimog comes up to the European exhaust emission standards Euro 4 and this has been achieved by fitting a particle filter and making various other engine modifications.

The protective screen has really proved to be “the philosopher’s stone” for this project as on the one hand it allows work to be carried out without interruption and it also protects the continuous flow of traffic from being begrimed by the very diluted fireproof mortar. This means that the traffic can at least pass the roadworks on one lane as up here in the narrow Hinterrhein valley there is only the narrow canton road H13 available for a one lane diversion for on-coming traffic. Martin Werthmüller, Marti AG’s construction engineer who is responsible for the project in Cassanawald, regards this work train with its construction equipment as playing a very important role in making sure the construction work stays on schedule. “We usually work on SBB railway tracks where using engines to pull and shunt our work trains is not an issue, but we have quickly realized that there is no alternative to the Unimog as a substitute engine when road-rail operations are involved.”

During the thousands of years the Alps have been crossed, people have used all kinds of transport to carry goods over roads, paths and trails and to overcome this intimidating mountain stronghold. Nowadays, endless streams of modern vehicles cope with these mighty mountains as though there were no differences in altitude or weather divides to be overcome. But that the Cassanawald road tunnel at 1,600 m above sea level on the northern ramp of the A 13 running from Chur to Bellinzona/Lugano would be crossed by rails would have been a visionary affair even for the main initiator of the Raetian Railway, the Dutchman Willem-Jan Holsboer.

Source: Daimler AG

Michael Bocklet from Koblenz and his team have built a fully fledged go-anywhere vehicle based on the UniversalMotorGerät (Universal Motorized Unit), to give the Unimog its full name. The distinctive Unimog U 4000 with its Bocklet body is the archetypal expedition vehicle – the consummate solution for even the most ardent adventurer.

The U 4000 is the perfect expedition vehicle thanks to its absolutely unique chassis concept. Portal axles deliver excellent ground clearance and ensure constant road contact of all four wheels. The suspension with torque tube, transverse links and coil springs allows long spring travel and superb axle articulation – supporting diagonal axle articulation of up to 30 degrees. In conjunction with the short frame overhangs, the Unimog also effortlessly takes difficult obstacles, hilltops, slopes or embankments in its stride. Waterproof major assemblies and an air intake pipe level with the cabin roof ensure a fording capability of 1.20 metres. The Unimog comes with single tyres (as opposed to the twin tyres on an all-wheel-drive truck), thus offering high traction with low rolling resistance. The tirecontrol tyre pressure monitoring system can be used to reduce the tyre pressure conveniently from the driver’s seat while on the move and so ensure the wheels do not get bogged down on soft ground. This technical feature improves traction and power delivery.

Trouble-free driving with the go-anywhere vehicle
The 4249-cc four-cylinder diesel unit produces 160 kW (218 hp). The permissible gross vehicle weight of the all-wheel-drive vehicle (wheelbase 3850 mm) is 7490 or 8500 kilograms respectively. In conjunction with the all-wheel drive and differential locks on the front and rear axle, the Unimog is the ideal solution for a superlative off-road expedition vehicle. Should it – in the very unlikely event – get stuck, the Unimog can use its hydraulic seven-tonne front winch to pull itself out of the quagmire with its “own hair” à la Baron Munchausen. However, you are much more likely to find it using the winch to pull out other vehicles from difficult situations. A diesel tank with a capacity of 290 litres (plus two 20-litre reserve canisters) also makes longer journeys less nerve-racking where refuelling is not an option. The comfort seats in the cab provide an ideal fatigue-free solution for these arduous stages.

The rear of the Bocklet accommodation module is tapered at an angle to retain the Unimog’s full off-road capabilities. The inside of the module measures 4.35 metres long and 2.20 metres wide (standing height 1.95 metres). The roof and walls of the three-point mounted, thermal bridge-free fibreglass-reinforced plastic box are 50 mm thick, standing on a 60-mm-thick floor. All the walls are finished with a 2-mm-thick fabric-reinforced outer layer. The hatches and doors all come with hollow rubber seals and multi-point locks, which help protect the stowage compartments against the ingress of dust or water.

Behind the driver’s seat is the accommodation module washroom, fitted out with a cassette toilet, wash basin and shower. Hot water is provided by a combined Truma gas/electric boiler with a capacity of 10 litres. The corner kitchen is fitted towards the rear and comes with a two-burner gas stove, sink and drainer.

A (lockable) passage leads to the cab, with a wardrobe fitted on the right behind the co-passenger seat. The 110-litre compressor fridge occupies the space up to the entrance door.

Benches arranged longitudinally to the direction of travel provide two seats with exquisite Alcantara® upholstery. Tanks and additional stowage space are housed under the dinette in the false floor. The Unimog carries around 300 litres of fresh water on-board, along with a waste tank holding 200 litres. The entire rear area is home to a 200 x 135-cm double bed. Additional stowage space, which can be accessed from outside, is provided under the bed.

A diesel-powered Eberspächer hot air heater ensures a comfortable night’s sleep in colder climes or during the winter months. To ensure sufficient ‘juice’, Bocklet has installed 220 Ah of battery capacity, backed up by 260-W solar panels, an automatic charger (24 V / 50 A) and a 1.2-kW inverter. A control panel with an ampere-hour metre monitors the power system; minimal energy consumption comes courtesy of the low-energy lights and LED spots fitted in the interior. There is a TFT television plus satellite dish and a DVD player for entertainment and information during the expedition, no matter how far away from home you venture. The 6.85-metre-long, 2.35-metre-wide and 3.50-metre-high expedition camper based on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 4000 costs EUR 248,300.

Source: Daimler AG

The Unimog picked up the title of “2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year – Special-Purpose Vehicles Category” after the December issue of the respected Munich-based all-wheel-drive magazine invited readers to vote for a selection of vehicles with off-road capability in a total of eight categories. The OFF ROAD Obelisk award was presented during a special gala evening held at Munich’s “Das Schloss” theatre tent. Over 48,000 votes were cast to select the winners among the 97 vehicles nominated by the organisers. The Unimog was the top-scoring model among the special-purpose vehicles with an outstanding 37.9 % of the readers’ votes.

The eight categories for which readers where invited to cast their votes were “Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)”, “Luxury SUVs”, “Classics”, “Pick-Ups”, “Special-Purpose Vehicles” and “Crossover Vehicles”. Among the special-purpose vehicles – cross-country vehicles used for transporting loads and cargo in remote areas or as a basis for special bodies used by fire-fighters, expeditions and the military – the Unimog easily led the field. Its signature product characteristics, such as its portal axles which provide outstanding off-road capability and its tremendous torsional flexibility combined with exceptional ruggedness and strength, came in for particular praise.
Produced at the Wörth plant since 2002, the high-mobility U 4000 to U 5000 Unimog range is the natural choice for difficult all-terrain operations far from roads and tracks. Its principal applications are in the domains of fire-fighting (especially in the context of forest fires), disaster relief, expedition transport as well as service and maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. As the saying goes: “Unimog vehicles get through where others cannot even get in”.

The Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 models are therefore the ideal complement to the all-terrain implement carriers which make up the U 300 to U 500 range and which are used principally by public service organisations and municipal contractors as well as in the construction and energy sectors, in intra-plant transport applications and for road/rail work. The latest addition to the Unimog family is the compact U 20, which was launched in 2008.

The legendary G-Class also emerged as a firm favourite with the readers: it was voted into first place in the “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles” category. Another G-Class, in “Edition Pur” guise (produced in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the model series) took second place in the “Classics” category with the same ranking being attained by the M-Class in the “Luxury SUVs” category.

Off-Road magazine has been inviting its readers to vote for the cross-country vehicle of the year since 1982.

Source: Daimler AG

Within the portfolio the legendary G-Class was even able to notch up a double success: it won first place in the “Luxury off-roader” category, while the special EDITION.PUR model, which entered production in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the G-Class, took second place in the “Classic” category. The M-Class achieved the same ranking in the “Luxury SUV” category. In the “Special-purpose vehicle” category, the multi-talented Unimog once again took its place on the winner’s rostrum. These awards make the G-Class one of the most popular and highly acclaimed models in the world of off-road vehicles, as a look at the major awards received in recent years reveals. For the seventh time, the readers of “Off Road” have awarded the title of “Off-roader of the Year” to the G-Class, following its successes in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In its 2007 and 2009 readers’ votes, the off-road magazine “4Wheel Fun” declared the “G” to be the “Superstar”.

Following its successes in 2003 and 2007, the readers of “Motor Klassik” once again voted the Mercedes-Benz G-Class the “Classic of the Future” last year. And no less than 14 times, readers of the motoring magazine “auto motor und sport” have voted the G-Class the world’s best off-road vehicle. In the special-purpose vehicle segment – off-road vehicles used to carry loads and cargo into remote areas, or used as a basis for special-purpose bodies – the Unimog clearly leads the field, with particular praise for its outstanding off-road capabilities combined with extreme robustness.

A full range: the current G-Class
The current 463-series “G” family has three body variants. The short wheelbase Station Wagon, the long wheelbase Station Wagon or the Cabriolet can be combined either with the economical V6 CDI engine developing 165 kW (224 hp) and 540 newton metres, or a powerful 5.5-litre V8 petrol engine with 285 kW (388 hp) and 530 newton metres. The top-of-the-range G 55 AMG, which is available only as a four-door Station Wagon, is powered by a supercharged V8 engine generating 373 kW (507 hp) and an impressive maximum torque of 700 newton metres. The G-Class continues to offer an outstanding synthesis of powerful drive and dynamic handling systems. In addition to permanent all-wheel drive with an off-road reduction range and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, standard equipment includes the electronically controlled traction system 4ETS, the Electronic Stability Program ESP® and three differential locks that can be engaged at the touch of a button.

The special EDITION.PUR model, which has received an award in the “Classic” category, entered production in 2009 to mark the 30th birthday of the G-Class and is based on the G 280 CDI from the G 461 series. This long wheelbase Station Wagon is homage to the first-generation G-Model, and like its ancestor it is specially optimised for operation in the very toughest off-road conditions.

The trendsetter: Mercedes-Benz M-Class
As a trendsetter among today’s SUVs, the M-Class owes its exceptional status to its characteristically dynamic and elegant design, as well as to a combination of excellent on-road/off-road performance, the ride and operating comfort of a saloon car and a high level of perceived value. Moreover, the M-Class has safety features that are unrivalled anywhere in the SUV segment. These outstanding attributes were duly rewarded by the readers of the motoring magazine “Off Road”.

Source: Daimler AG

Operation with biogas is particularly environmentally friendly, because it is CO2-neutral. This is the case, for example, in Stockholm, where the international company Sita (Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux) has been using Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT (Natural Gas Technology) trucks for garbage disposal applications for more than six years now, whereby the Econics in Sweden’s capital are being operated for the first time exclusively with biogas (methane) produced in-house from renewable sources. Sweden has now ordered a further 27 Econic natural gas vehicles from the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth near Karlsruhe.

As a result, Sita now has a fleet of 98 Mercedes-Benz Econic trucks in Sweden; 81 of the vehicles have natural gas drive and more than 70 of the trucks are powered by environ­mentally friendly biogas.

The biogas used is obtained primarily from sewage sludge disposal systems, although garbage disposal facilities also now serve as a source. The Econic thus costs nearly nothing to drive. In any case, it is completely independent from petroleum, and thus free of the associated emissions and costs. The biogas used is collected in large containers that are then hooked up to gas pumps at filling stations.

Natural-gas Econic is a “green hit”
The Mercedes-Benz Econic’s natural gas drive makes the vehicle’s emissions lower than those allowed by the EEV standard, currently the most stringent in the world. Its engine produces neither CO2 nor particulates and is also extremely quiet. The M 906 LAG natural gas engine generates 205 kW (279 hp) from a displacement of 6.88 liters. Power is transferred by a six-speed automatic transmission. EEV stands for “Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle.” Because it more than meets the EEV standard’s requirements, the Econic is permitted to bear the “Blue Angel” seal and may also be driven in any low-emission zone. Such attributes offer a very convincing argument to potential customers, which is why more and more Econics are now being used in municipalities. Berlin currently has 63 Mercedes-Benz Econic NGT vehicles in operation, Sweden more than 250, Athens 108, Paris 22, Prague 11, and Valencia 36. All in all, there are now over 950 Econic NGTs on the road in Europe.

The Econic, first unveiled in May 1998 at the Entsorga trade fair in Cologne, was considered a niche model for quite some time. The vehicle already had a natural gas engine when it was presented; this engine was produced by the Group’s NAW (Nutzfahrzeugwerke Arbon Wetzikon) subsidiary and was later continually enhanced in what was then known as the Center of Expertise for Low-Emission Commercial Vehicles at the Mannheim engine plant. Still, diesel fuel was cheap in the 1990s, so only a few municipalities were willing to experiment with natural gas drives.

However, with increasing environmental awareness, rising diesel prices, and more stringent air quality controls, the versatile specialist has become a “green hit” that is now improving cleanliness and air quality in more and more major European cities. Athens, for example, recently ordered 108 Econics to reduce the extreme levels of smog the Greek capital is frequently subjected to.

Like many other European cities, Stockholm has outsourced its garbage disposal system to private companies in order to save money. One of these companies is Sita, which has its headquarters in France and is the private-sector waste disposal market leader in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Sita was established through a merger between Suez and Gas de France in 2006 that created the world’s largest liquefied natural gas company.

Source: Daimler AG

Even on arrival at the Center the guests were able to gain an initial impression of the sheer variety of special-purpose vehicles offered by Mercedes-Benz. The range of exhibits outside the Center extended from the smart as a first responder to the Sprinter as an emergency ambulance, and right up to the Actros as a swap body vehicle with an impressive heavy-duty fan. As a full-range manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz meets all the international user requirements for fire and rescue vehicles with its range of passenger cars, vans, trucks and special-purpose chassis.

As an all-terrain special-purpose chassis for emergency vehicles, the Unimog in all its variants has been in use in more than 100 countries of the world for many decades. In addition to the familiar U 300 to U 500 series of implement carriers and the U 4000/U 5000 as all-terrain trucks, the specialists visiting Wörth were particularly attracted to the new, lightweight Unimog U 20. Available in three weight variants with gross vehicle weights of 7.5, 8.5 and 9.3 tonnes, the U 20 is the first Unimog with a forward-control cab. At the same time its short wheelbase of only 2.70 metres makes it an extremely compact and manoeuvrable off-road vehicle. The U20 opens up new operational possibilities, especially in areas with steep, narrow roads such as mountain regions and historic old towns. The first Unimog U 20 is already operational as a fire tender in Croatia.

First presented to the public at the last International Commercial Vehicle Show (IAA), the new, all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz Zetros truck was very much in the limelight among the off-road vehicles. Positioned above the Unimog, the Zetros allows the configuration of heavy emergency vehicles whose key attributes are a high payload and load capacity combined with outstanding off-road capabilities and good on-road performance. The Zetros meets these requirements as a two-axle 18-tonner and as a 25-tonner (27 tonnes are technically possible) with three axles. Large-size single tyres on all axles as standard combined with permanent all-wheel drive make the Zetros an ideal off-road vehicle. A fully automatic trans­mission is now available on request as an alternative to the standard eight-speed manual transmission. With a standard fording depth of 0.8 m (optionally 1.1 m), operations in flooded areas are no problem either. A new feature shown for the first time in Wörth was the overhead power take-off for the Zetros, which enables manufacturers of fire tenders in particular to drive a centrifugal fire pump without difficulty. Thus prepared, the Zetros with its spacious cab for up to three emergency personnel behind the massive hood will no doubt soon celebrate its premiere as a forest fire tender.

The Econic has long established itself as a special-purpose chassis for specialized firefighting vehicle bodies. Especially as a rescue vehicle with a hydraulic plat­form – turntable ladders or telescopic mast platforms – the Econic is increasingly often the vehicle of first choice with its low cab, which is able to accommodate up to four emergency personnel. The standard air suspension helps to ensure that these vehicles, which inherently have a high centre of gravity, have excellent handling stability. The driver’s workload is reduced by an automatic trans­mission, which is also standard equipment. Steerable rear axles available as an option – even for the two-axle vehicle with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 18 tonnes – make the Econic extremely manoeuvrable and facilitate access to confined areas. The Econic is also becoming increasingly popular as a specialist fire tender among works fire services, who highly appreciate the advantages of a spacious cab for ergonomic reasons. It enables the crew to don their breathing apparatus as they drive to the scene. On arrival they are able to exit the cab at the front via just two steps – there is no faster or safer way. An optionally available double-wing door on the co-driver’s side allows the easiest possible exit. In addition to 2 two and three-axle chassis with low and high cabs, three Econics with fully completed bodies were displayed in Wörth. The turntable-ladder DLA(K) 23-12 with a body by Metzis based on an Econic 1833 with the low cab. Using the same chassis, but with the high cab, the EnBW gasworks fire service had the body of its latest fire tender built by Ziegler. Due to be delivered shortly, the fire tender built by Rosenbauer for the works fire service of the Shell refinery in Wesseling is another size larger.

Driving off-road
Following the workshops in the Center, the specialists attending the Mercedes-Benz Fire & Rescue event had plenty of opportunity to explore the advantages of the Unimog and Zetros all-wheel drive vehicles on the Ötigheim proving ground near Rastatt. They were duly impressed with the outstanding climbing ability of these vehicles, as well as their safe downhill performance using only the engine brake. Fording ability was demonstrated in a water trench, and exiting from this also showed their excellent axle articulation. The participants had ample opportu­nity to take the wheel of Unimog or Zetros themselves, and gain unforgettable impressions of these unique vehicles when driving off-road. In addition to various chassis with platform or tipper bodies, the guests also had a fully equipped forest fire tender with an Empl body, several of which are already in service in the state of Brandenburg, at their disposal. A water tank holding 5000 litres and a front-mounted self-recovery winch by Werner on a U 5000 with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 14.1 tonnes leaves no options unexplored. Naturally the chassis also features ex factory heat protection for the electrics and the fuel and brake lines.

Source: Daimler AG

The very first design draft for the Unimog dating from September 1945 already features installation spaces for mowing equipment, a plough, a load platform and a fitting for trailer operation. Today Unimog vehicle technology has reached a level unrivalled anywhere in the world, with three model series for municipal and construction operations, the energy industry, fire protection and the emergency services, combined road/rail applications, agricultural maintenance work and the transport sector, and/or as a carrier for an extraordinary variety of working implements. The universality of this vehicle series, which was clearly intended right from its inception, is still clearly demonstrated by the two oldtimers – the U 2010 from the very first Mercedes-Benz Unimog model series and the U 30 Pullman from the 411 series (produced at the Gaggenau plant from 1956 – 1974). These two oldtimers have a venerable combined age of more than 100 Unimog years!

Operating life increased by limiting engine output – the oldest Unimog in commercial operation
20 years ago, the construction company Hans Kammerdiener GmbH & Co. KG in the small town of Gersfeld in der Rhön purchased the U 2010 third-hand for use on its construction sites. The previous owner had used the old Unimog to carry timber and as a hunting vehicle. Christof Kammerdiener, the owner of the 130-strong company, has a weakness for classic vehicles and has so far only had to invest in new tyres and essential paintwork repairs. Nowadays the company only uses the U 2010 with its front-mounted sweeper to keep the roadways on its construction sites clear. This is very probably the oldest Unimog still in commercial use.

This veteran probably left the Gaggenau production line in 1952, just under one and a half years after Mercedes-Benz commenced Unimog production. Its first owner, who operated a trout farm in Altenfeld/Rhön, registered the vehicle on 7 January 1953. It was powered by the 1.7-litre Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder diesel engine from the passenger car range. This engine was only installed in the U 2010 in downrated form, developing 25 hp. Limiting the output by around 50 percent significantly increased the engine’s operating life, and the effect is felt to this day: still equipped with its original engine, which was approved for a maximum speed of 50 km/h at the time, the 56 year-old Unimog (now registered as a working machine with a max. speed of 6 km/h) still clocks up 200 to 300 operating hours each year.

Involved in the construction of the Felbertauernstraße scenic road
The dream of creating a convenient, non-dangerous Alpine crossing from the Salzburg region and North Tirol to East Tirol, Kärnten and northern Italy that would meet growing transport requirements already took shape a good 80 years ago. 1961 saw the formation of the Felbertauernstraße AG company, which was charged with planning and building the now 36 km long road connection between Mittersill (Salzburg region) and Matrei in East Tirol, as well as the 30 km of service roads needed to maintain this well-known and heavily used north-south Alpine axis. The company has also been one of Austria’s most loyal Unimog customers since 1963.

The Unimog U 30 Pullman from the 411 series, equipped with a large Westfalia “Pullmann” cab (chassis number 411.120-024397) and a 32 hp engine (OM 636) was registered to Felbertauernstraße AG in Mitter­sill on 5 September 1963. Other technical details of the U 30 to be found in the Austrian “type approval certificate” issued on first registration include: “Two-axle tractor unit with closed cab, 1 driver’s seat, 1 co-driver’s seat, load platform with folding walls, compressed air system for operation of lifting implements, kerb weight 1900 kg, permissible load 1340 kg, permissible gross vehicle weight 3290 kg and payload 1200 kg. Manual transmission with 6 forward and 2 reverse gears.” Felbertauernstraße AG used its first Unimog for seven years before selling it to a trading company in Vienna. But the company remained loyal to the Mercedes-Benz Unimog. “Since 1967 we have always had two Unimog as implement carriers for a wide variety of requirements”, says Michael Köll, the head of operations at Felbertauern­straßen AG. For Köll, the universal applicability of these vehicles with their hydrostatic and ­hydrau­lic power systems is a compelling reason for including the Unimog in the vehicle fleet. At present a Unimog U 300 and a U 400 with a mowing door are in operation as implement carriers for crash barrier and tunnel cleaning, winter service and the extensive mowing work required along the almost 70 kilometres of roads.

This oldtimer is now in outstanding condition, having been thoroughly over­hauled and restored using original replacement parts by the Austrian Uni­mog enthusiast Erwin Tuller from St. Kathrein (Steiermark) in 490 working hours extending over two years and seven months. Its reappearan­ce on the Felber­tauern­straße scenic road after 46 years was a real highlight for its dedicated owner and the employees of Felbertauern­straße AG. On other occasions Erwin Tuller takes part in classic vehicle rallies with his U 30.

The Gaggenau plant as the cradle of a worldwide success
The very latest production methods were also used for the Unimog when the Mercedes-Benz plant in Gaggenau took up production on 3 June 1951. A total of more than 320,000 units were produced in Gaggenau over a period of 50 years. When Unimog production was relocated to the Mercedes-Benz truck assembly plant in Wörth am Rhein in August 2002, the Unimog departed from its traditional home, however its incorporation into the world’s largest truck plant ensured that it remains rooted in the company’s commercial vehicle business. 25 model series with countless model variants have been produced to date. The never-ending innovative potential of the Unimog is demonstrated by the current off-road implement carriers U 300 to U 500, the all-terrain transport vehicles U 3000 to U 5000 and the U 20 introduced in 2008 as the third Unimog series. As a compact implement carrier in the weight class up to 8.5 t, the latter has the same sophisticated systems as its bigger brothers.

Source: Daimler AG

This background lent a very special importance to the Unimog project, which was launched in the immediate post-war period. This new vehicle class was conceived as a general workhorse that would be superior to conventional tractors and would ease the workload of farmers as far as possible. This was the approach taken by the former head of aircraft engine design at Daimler-Benz, Albert Friedrich – who found himself unemployed after the war, but whose hands were by no means idle.

The name Unimog already suggested that a very special type of vehicle was being created. In the case of the Unimog, the dream of marketing strategists was realised of its own accord, when almost immediately the product name came to stand for an entire vehicle category.

Enthusiastic reception from the start
Originally coined as a convenient abbreviation for the long-winded description “Universalmotorgerät” (“Universal Motor Vehicle”), the name “Unimog” is today a generic term whose origin sometimes needs to be spelled out before it is understood. No wonder that visitors to the 1948 DLG Show, the principal trade fair of the German Agricultural Association, gave the new vehicle an enthusiastic reception: apparently the team on the Unimog stand received no fewer than 150 orders there and then.

The magnitude of this trailblazing achievement by the fathers of the Unimog in autumn 1948 was shown by the fact that many of the original features of the first Unimog have been retained to this day: four wheels of equal size, four-wheel drive with front and rear differential locks, all-terrain portal axles, front and rear power take-offs and a small platform for carrying loads and equipment.

Albert Friedrich had already begun to work on ideas for a compact agricultural working machine during the war. Particularly with the prospect of the Morgenthau Plan in mind, these thoughts crystallized into the idea of a universal workhorse with a 25 hp (18 kW) engine which could double as a tractor, equipment carrier and transport vehicle for agriculture. As one of the development partners Friedrich engaged the services of his former colleague Heinrich Rössler, who was able to contribute valuable practical experience: Rössler had been employed as an agricultural labourer since the end of the war and knew exactly what was required.

Moreover, Friedrich had been able to secure one of the rare “Production Orders” from the American occupation forces as early as October 1945, i.e. a manufacturing permit. At the time the allies were still suspiciously monitoring all industrial activity in Germany – 150 hp (110 kW) was the maximum output allowed for trucks, for example.

Prototype with a petrol engine
Friedrich chose a company named Erhard & Söhne based in Schwäbisch Gmünd as a development and production partner for the Unimog. In January 1946 Rössler was installed there as technical manager for the Unimog project, and he was keen to build a prototype as soon as possible. The engineering company Boehringer in Göppingen supplied the gear wheels and shafts for the transfer case, while Renk in Augsburg produced the axles. The vehicle was powered by a 1.7-litre petrol engine from Daimler-Benz (M 136 from the pre-war Mercedes-Benz 170 V passenger car), and on October 9, 1946 the first roadworthy chassis was ready for its initial trials. The vehicle differed from a conventional agricultural tractor in ten major respects:

1. A speed range of three to 50 km/h
2. Dampened, sprung axles to keep the maximum speed controllable during on-road use
3. Four-wheel drive with front and rear differential locks
4. Braked front and rear axles (agricultural tractors only had rear brakes)
5. A robust frame construction adopted from passenger car and truck engineering
6. A two-seater cab with a folding roof, fold-down windscreen, padded seats and heating
7. A load platform measuring around 1.5 square metres, with a carrying capacity of at least one tonne
8. An advantageous weight distribution for difficult terrain: two thirds on the front axle, one third on the rear
9. Equipment mounting facilities at the sides, front, rear and top
10. Front and rear power-take-offs, with a belt pulley in the middle

But as what should this compact all-rounder be classified? It was not an agricultural tractor in the classic sense, nor a truck or an implement carrier. Nonetheless it was important to have the new vehicle accepted as an agricultural tractor, and it was the engineer Hans Zabel who came up with the brainwave of abbreviating the term “Universalmotorgerät” to the more memorable “Unimog”. His reward was a bottle of wine – a very rare treat in those days.

A brand-new diesel provides the answer
By 1946 it had become clear that the petrol engine was not a viable proposition, when low-cost diesel fuel was officially approved for agricultural purposes. There was no avoiding the diesel engine if the vehicle was to remain competitive. So it was fortunate that at Daimler-Benz at the same time, the motorboat engine designer Julius Witzky, who was on the lookout for new projects, developed for the plant a high-speed diesel engine with 1.7-litre displacement, the OM 636, based on the engine M 136 of the Mercedes-Benz 170 V passenger car. The first test units were delivered to Erhard & Söhne on March 22, 1947.

Nor was the initially installed four-speed transmission supplied by ZF in Friedrichshafen the ideal solution. Rössler developed a new, six-speed constant mesh transmission with the idea of adding synchromesh at a later stage. Erhard & Söhne did not have the capacity for series production, however, and outsourcing its manufacture would have been too expensive.

The day was saved by Boehringer in Göppingen, which was already supplying cast components for the Unimog. The company was very interested in producing the entire vehicle (not least to avoid it being dismantled), and met with success: from February 1948 it became responsible for producing almost all of the Unimog.

As early as August 1948 the company sent two Unimog vehicles to the DLG fair in Frankfurt am Main, where they were given an enthusiastic reception – even though the engine compartments had been sealed, and it was not possible to see the engines: the patents for the OM 636 had not yet been registered.

On November 21, 1948 the Unimog was granted its own patent as a multi-axle motor vehicle for agricultural businesses. This meant that it benefited from official tax exemption for agricultural vehicles, could be operated on cheap diesel fuel and was placed in a more favourable insurance category. The chassis design, however, was only granted a patent on February 26, 1950.

The success of the Unimog outgrows its inventors
Boehringer was able to sell a respectable 600 units in the two years between autumn 1948 and autumn 1950, but neither Erhard & Söhne nor Boehringer were able to afford the increase in production capacity which this sales success made necessary. Negotiations with Daimler-Benz bore fruit, for on 5 September 1950 the company agreed to take over the entire Unimog sector.

Production was relocated from Göppingen to Gaggenau. The Gaggenau plant, which had always specialized in commercial vehicles, set itself a production target of 300 Unimogs per month. Indeed the first Gaggenau-produced Unimog left the plant for customer delivery on 3 June 1951. As of October 1953 the vehicle also became available with an enclosed, all-steel cab, for example.

The glorious career of the Unimog S
By as early as March 1953, Gaggenau had also developed a boxy prototype of what was to become the Unimog S. There were plenty of arguments for putting the Unimog into uniform for military use, turning it into an all-terrain light truck with a petrol engine. In fact specialists from the US military occupation forces had already shown themselves impressed with the clever concept of the original Unimog when it was demonstrated to them in 1947.

The plant took the first steps towards the Unimog S in 1953. It tentatively developed a prototype with a track width of 1400 millimetres rather than the previous 1284 millimetres, as well as increasing the wheelbase to 2120 millimetres (which meant that the clutch, transmission and axles could remain unchanged), and finally ended up with a track width of 1600 and a wheelbase of 2670 millimetres for the first demonstration vehicle produced in 1953. The power unit chosen was the 2.2-litre petrol engine from the model 220 saloon.

Immediate order from the French army
During the first demonstration for specialists from the European Defence Commission in summer 1953, this vehicle made such a good impression that the French occupying forces immediately placed a request for a prototype, and two units were delivered in June 1954. This soon led the French army to place a large order totalling 1,100 units, which Gaggenau began to deliver from May 1955.

From then on, military authorities all over the world showed a lively interest in the Unimog S. It also suited the new Unimog that rearmament commenced in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956. Formed in that year, the federal defence forces were to account for no less than around 36,000 of the 64,242 units of the new Unimog S, alias the Unimog 404 (production continued until 1980).

A fully-fledged load platform makes the difference
The Unimog S was considerably different from its agricultural counterpart with a rudimentary load platform. It featured a fully-fledged platform with a length of 2700 and a width of 2000 millimetres, mounted on a chassis with a track width of 1630 millimetres and a wheelbase of initially 2670, then 2900 millimetres from 1956.

The pedestrian, 25 hp (18 kW) pre-chamber diesel OM 636 with its awkward glow-plug ignition system was replaced with the 82 hp (60 kW) six-cylinder petrol unit M 180 II from the saloon cars, and this enabled the Unimog S to travel at twice the speed of its diesel-powered colleagues, namely 95 km/h. Optionally available from 1972 was also the 2.8-litre M 130 unit from the passenger car, although here with output derated to 110 hp (81 kW). A slick, synchromesh transmission rather than the constant mesh unit, power-assisted rather than hydraulic drum brakes and a 1.5-tonne payload were other features that distinguished the Unimog S from its civilian brothers.

Suitable for any type of body
With these genes and a willingness to accept any type of body, the Unimog 404 military version enjoyed a no less varied career than previously in the civilian sector: a material and troop carrier, a tractor for equipment and guns, a mobile weather station, workshop vehicle, military ambulance and mobile office were just some of the functions performed by the Unimog S. Even the airborne troops had their own Unimog, which they could dispatch back to mother earth by parachute.

On request the plant would not only supply the Unimog with its standard folding roof (which could be stowed behind the seats together with the side windows), but also with an enclosed steel cab and a 3000-millimetre long platform. It was particularly this version that soon attracted the attention of the civilian market, as the 82 hp petrol model was far better able to keep up with road traffic than the diesel-powered agricultural version, which was limited to a speed of 52 km/h. The Unimog S was happy to tow a trailer weighing up to 4.4 tonnes.

The fast Unimog S also enjoyed enormous sales to fire services all over the world, since these placed a premium on speed in emergencies, and often the need to travel over rough terrain. Whether for forest fires, as an equipment carrier, pump water tender or dry powder tender, the fire-fighting talents of the Unimog S are still highly appreciated in many regions today.

An enduring concept for a quarter of a century
Like the original Unimog of 1948, the 1955 Unimog S was an extremely enduring concept which was subjected to hardly any major modifications despite a production time extending over a quarter of a century.

Strictly speaking, any model updates were confined to a few important additions to the range: from 1971 some variants were also produced with the cab of the 406 series (in production from 1963), with the option of a more powerful engine. This particularly muscular unit beneath the short bonnet was the 2.8-litre six-cylinder M 130 engine, which developed 110 hp (81 kW) and gave the Unimog S a maximum speed of
100 km/h.

Civilian all-rounder
Over time the range of applications for what was originally an agricultural vehicle was naturally widened as well. The 25 hp (18 kW) first-born of the post-war period possessed many hidden talents, and these only needed to be discovered. Whether in forestry or for municipal duties, fire-fighting, the military, the construction and energy sectors or oil exploration teams in the desert, the more specialized the application, the fewer people were willing to do without the Unimog.

From 1956 onward the engine output was increased from 25 to 30 hp (18 to 22 kW), and the model designation was changed from Unimog 401/402 to Unimog 411. One year later a synchromesh transmission became an option, and was standard equipment from 1959. A new, enclosed cab also became available for the long-wheelbase Unimog from 1957.

It was not until the early 1960s that the compact, basic Unimog began to reach its limits, with the Unimog S also losing ground for more specialized applications. Accordingly Daimler-Benz supplemented these with the “406 series”, whose short bonnet concealed the powerful 65 hp (48 kW) OM 312 diesel engine. This also enabled the Unimog to perform convincingly as a tractor unit.

Increasingly diversified range
In the mid-60s Daimler-Benz completely restructured the Unimog range, inserting the 421 and 403 series between the small models with a choice of 34 or 36 hp (25 and 26 kW) and the medium models with 65 hp (48 kW). The four-cylinder OM 621 diesel engine of the 421 series was adopted from the passenger cars, and covered an output range from 45 to 60 hp (33 to 44 kW). The wheelbase was a standard 2250 millimetres, and the permissible gross vehicle weight ranged from 3700 to 4100 kilograms.

The diesel engine of the 403 series was adopted from the commercial vehicle. The OM 314 had a displacement of just under four litres, and was available with outputs of 54, 66 and 72 hp (40, 49 and 53 kW). This series had a standard wheelbase of 2380 millimetres, and the permissible gross vehicle weight ranged from 4800 to 5800 kilograms.

Entry into the heavy-duty class
In 1974 the Unimog entered the heavy-duty class with a gross vehicle weight of around ten tonnes. It was not only the high permissible gross vehicle weight of 9000 kilograms and a 120 hp (88 kW) six-cylinder diesel engine OM 352 that was new about the U 120. The 425 series also featured the angular cab typical of the time, and a large bonnet with only a slight downward slope. The basic design of this cab was to remain unchanged for almost a quarter of a century. From 1979 the engine also became available in a turbocharged version OM 352 A developing 150 hp (110 kW).

This Unimog was renamed the U 1500 as part of the reorganization of model designations which Daimler-Benz carried out during the 1970s: the basic models retained their rounded form and were renamed the U 600 L, U 800 L, U 900 and U 1100 L. Angular front ends adorned the models U 1100, U 1300 L and the particularly powerful U 1500 and U 1700 L (168 hp/124 kW). The letter “L” stood for “long wheelbase”. Two different wheelbases had meanwhile become available for most Unimog models.

The Unimog was not only a technological leader in the commercial vehicle sector because it made use of turbocharged engines for a high output at an early stage. It also belonged to the avant-garde because with the exception of the entry-level models, it already featured dual-circuit disc brakes all-round in the 1970s.

Completely new vehicles introduced in the 1980s
The Unimog line-up remained substantially unchanged until the second half of the 1980s, but then the angular cab of the medium and heavy series was also introduced in the light models. The Unimog was subjected to a complete redesign by the plant, and in practice different dimensions, wheelbases, drive trains, gross vehicle weights and engines resulted in completely new chassis.

The 407, 417, 427 and 437 series offered customers a wider model range than ever before. This extended from the compact U 600 with 60 hp (44 kW) and a permissible gross vehicle weight of 4.5 tonnes right up to the U 2400, whose 240 hp engine (OM 366 LA, 176 kW) could easily cope with a gross vehicle weight of 12.5 tonnes.

From 1993 the range was even headed by an all-wheel-drive, three-axle Unimog built in Gaggenau; however the Iron Curtain between east and west had by now fallen – and demand by the military declined. Tighter budgets also meant that sales to municipal authorities, who had traditionally been good customers, fell to some extent.

New cabs with a sloping front end
Daimler-Benz responded by thoroughly restructuring the Unimog range. As early as 1992 the light 408 (U 90) and 418 (U 110 and U 140) series replaced their still youthful predecessors. Typical features of the new models included a redesigned cab with a heavily sloping front end, providing particularly good forward visibility.

On request the new models were also available with an asymmetrical bonnet cutaway on the driver’s side, which provided a good view of mounted implements and allowed rapid coupling and uncoupling as a one-man operation. The driving characteristics were improved with a new frame and progressively acting coil springs, and the completely redesigned cab offered significantly more space and comfort than before.

A little later the Unimog was even joined by a little brother: this scaled-down implement carrier was named the UX 100, but despite technical refinements such as transferable steering it was never able to carve a niche for itself. The rights to this concept were sold to the Hako group after 790 units had been built.

Form follows function
Meanwhile the 408 and 418 were already harbingers of what was to come in 2000 and beyond: the model range was split into vehicles mainly designed as off-road implement carriers and those designed for all-terrain transport operations. The former category was represented by the U 300 to U 500 models (405 series) introduced in 2000. The target groups were municipal authorities, government departments, service providers and the transport sector. In 2003 DaimlerChrysler’s North American subsidiary Freightliner even started marketing the U 500 in the USA under its own brand name.

The typical feature of the 405 series was a new short-nosed cab with a high level of practicality and ergonomics. The cab was of composite fibre construction, and provided outstanding visibility by virtue of an extremely deep windscreen and side windows.

The ” VarioPilot” feature enabled the steering wheel, instrument panel and pedal cluster to be moved to the other side of the vehicle in a matter of seconds. This was because 75 percent of all Unimogs were used on an all-year round basis, with a variety of mounted implements which needed to be operated from either side of the cab. Moreover, in many cases one-man operation was fast becoming a necessity to ensure overall cost-effectiveness.

The UG 100 transmission was another new feature of the 405 series. The basic version had eight gears, semi-automatic Telligent gearshift (fully automatic Telligent gearshift also became available from 2003) and cruise control. Other refinements such as additional crawler or working gears, a torque converter and hydrostatic drive for infinitely variable speeds up to 25 km/h were available on request.

The second category included the all-terrain models in the 437.4 series (U 3000 to U 5000) presented in 2002. These were intended for fire services, the energy sector and all those who needed to transport materials and equipment on extremely rough terrain. Major design priorities included using as many parts as possible in common with the “implement carrier” range, while clearly differentiating according to the respective target groups where necessary.

Model range rationalized with more focus
Accordingly both categories were equipped with the engines of the OM 904/906 LA and OM 924 LA series (150 to 279 hp, 110 to 205 kW), the UG 100 transmission and identical instruments, steering and brakes. The all-terrain models went their own way with respect to the cab, however, which remained a tilting all-steel design.

Rather than permanent four-wheel drive like their colleagues in the 405 series, they were equipped with selectable four-wheel drive. A particularly high ground clearance was provided by portal axles with spur gear hub drives. The drive shafts were also enclosed within the torque tube for best possible protection under hard off-road conditions. The engine, transmission, cab and body were on three-point mountings for optimum torsional flexibility.

This reorientation, which was incidentally accompanied by the relocation of production from Gaggenau to Wörth, effected a significant reduction in the number of model variants and parts, thereby bringing a considerable improvement in cost-effectiveness. The new model series reduced the number of all-terrain model variants from 36 to four, for example, while 46 cab variants were reduced to just six. At the same time the number of frame variants tumbled from no fewer than 135 to just four.

A new face: the favourably priced compact Unimog
Suddenly there was room for something completely new, and at the International Motor Show in 2006 Mercedes-Benz began a new chapter in the almost 60-year history of the Unimog. This was the launch of a new, light Unimog implement carrier with a gross vehicle weight of 7.5 to 8.5 tonnes, whose major characteristics were compact dimensions and a similarly compact cab-over-engine design – unprecedented in Europe.

The cab was adopted from the Acelo light truck, which was produced in Brazil and specialized in urban operations. The new, compact Unimog had a shortened 2700-millimetre wheelbase, and was therefore highly manoeuvrable (turning circle just under 12.8 metres). With a height of around 2700 millimetres it also passed through low entrances with ease.

The new model came with typical Unimog technology in the form of portal axles, single tyres, three differential locks, permanent four-wheel drive and the UG 100 transmission. The mounting points for implements of all kinds were identical to those of the two classic Unimogs. The engine was the 156 hp variant of the four-cylinder OM 904. However, the new, compact Unimog dispensed with refinements such as transferable steering or extreme slow-speed characteristics, which made it considerably less expensive than the classic 405-series implement carrier.

It was not only thanks to its tilting cab-over-engine design that this compact Unimog became more truck-like, as the new target groups cited as new potential customers during its presentation showed: the new arrival was to be aimed at the building trades and the landscape gardening sector as new potential customer groups (in addition to municipalities and the energy supply industry), on the basis that “less is more”.

Today the extensive Unimog family is divided into a total of seven model series with three basic operating profiles. Introduced in 2002, the U 3000, U 4000 and U 5000 series with a gross vehicle weight from 7.5 to 12.5 tonnes have outstanding all-terrain capabilities and are mainly intended for the fire services (and especially forest fires), disaster relief, as basic chassis for expedition vehicles and for servicing and maintenance work on extremely difficult terrain.

Accordingly they ideally complement the Unimog series U 300, U 400 and U 500 introduced in spring 2000, which are designed as typical implement carriers with gross vehicle weights from 7.5 to 16.0 tonnes and mainly perform their duties with public service organizations and municipal contractors, in the construction and energy sectors and for in-house industrial transport. As a favourably priced light version with a maximum gross vehicle weight of 8.5 tonnes and a particularly good motorway performance, this remarkably versatile family has recently been enriched by the new compact Unimog.

The U 20 first demonstrates its ability in 2007
Customers had to wait until the first quarter of 2008 for delivery of the U 20. It gave a first public demonstration of its capabilities carrying summer utility implements at the demopak trade fair in Eisenach in June 2007. It later proved its abilities on snow and ice during a tour of German winter sports resorts.

The U 20 came at just the right time, for in 2008 Germany alone boasted around 12,000 Unimogs from the 424 and 427 series, vehicles built from 1982 to 2000, that were gradually approaching retirement age. With the first cab-over-engine Unimog the planted extended the weight range for the 2008 IAA, introducing a variant of 9.5-tonne gross vehicle weight.

Additional functions for Isobus, heat protection ex factory
Also at the 2008 IAA, Mercedes-Benz presented the Isobus control system introduced into the implement carrier in 2002 with an extra memory function for recording operating data. Fitted to the Unimog, the Isobus system provided a universal joystick control that allowed implements by different manufacturers to be operated using a single cockpit terminal.

In the case of the extreme off-road Unimog models from the U 3000 to U 5000 series, Mercedes-Benz presented both heat protection and mechanical protection equipment as ex factory solutions at the 2008 IAA.

Source: Daimler AG

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In fact the all-wheel-drive history of the company began slightly earlier, in 1903, when Paul Daimler laid the foundations for this technology with his first initial design. The first all-wheel-drive vehicle appeared in 1904; it was quickly followed by others. Since then, the watchword has been that all-wheel drive is the best technology when it comes to traction and safe, assured progress. Over the decades it has been successfully used in all kinds of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and from vans to heavy-duty trucks. Some of these models, for example the G-Class or the Unimog, have gained a legendary worldwide reputation, and are to be found virtually everywhere on earth. All-wheel drive also scores heavily in day-to-day driving on normal roads, however, as the Mercedes-Benz saloons with 4MATIC demonstrate.

Source: Daimler AG