The Unimog production had started; the small, enthusiastic team of committed ‘gear heads’ had succeeded against all odds.
To keep themselves occupied while their earlier workplace still lay in ruins from World War II, several former development engineers of Mercedes-Benz had struggled, persevered and finally pulled it off: They had their brainchild, a “Universal Power Device”, selling faster than they could produce it at the relatively small facility. Finding suitable buildings to lease, partnership agreements, initial lack of a suitable engine and all manner of other obstacles had been overcome.
The design concept of combining an agricultural tractor, implement carrier, stationary working machine and delivery vehicle with a load platform behind the cab, like a pickup truck, had turned out so well that the young company could not increase production as much as necessary to fill all sales orders. Negotiations with Daimler-Benz had resulted in the take over of the complete operation. The move to the rebuilt Mercedes truck manufacturing complex in Gaggenau, just west of Stuttgart, had happened in the early months of 1951.
A “Gaggenau” antique automobile in front of the “Town Hotel Gaggenau”. This industrial town had built automobiles since 1895, long before Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz joined their companies and came here to build commercial vehicles.
An order for four hundred Unimogs by the French occupation forces was waiting to be produced. May was ‘ramp up’ time; production resumed. On June 3rd the first “new” Unimog came off the assembly line, after about six hundred units had been produced during the previous two years. During the change over engineers or toolmakers had no time to make any changes; sold Unimogs had to be assembled. Not even the ox-head emblem on the hood, from of the previous production run, had been replaced with the Mercedes star. Only the model designation was changed from U25 to 2010. (more on model descriptions at another time)
The 100th Unimog waited for its customer already by July 10. What a change! Exacting design and thorough planning had made it possible to increase production from 600 in 27 months to 100 in five weeks, close to four times the previous average.
Secure under Mercedes’ roof and guidance, production was starting to run smooth and steady. Now the engineers could think about changes and potential improvements, and this they did. From 1953 on the Unimog carried the three-pointed star on its grill. During the same year a fully enclosed cab was added to the canvas top version.
Because no automobile ever has enough power, Daimler-Benz picked a reliable six cylinder engine from its car line-up to help with that eternal deficiency. This required a third body style, slightly changed to house the larger engine; The Unimog S was produced from 1955 onward.
During the early 1960s yours truly was a young technician, working at Mercedes-BenzCanada. A number of wooden crates had been sitting at a corner of the large shop for some time. When work on trucks, buses and Diesel Taxis, on 300SL ‘Gullwings’ and the odd ’Big 600’ slowed, I was given the task to open and carefully inspect the contents of the dozen or so boxes. One small box said: ”Open Me First”. It was marked “Instructions” and contained several Unimog shop manuals, a list of all the boxes’ contents and thousands of nuts, bolts, washers and assorted fasteners.
Rendering of bare frame of a later model
I assume I had earlier told somebody that I had worked on a Unimog before, but it was to be the first Unimog most of the staff ever saw – but only several weeks later.
Early model subassembly without body, showing drive pulley for flat-belt-driven implements, outside of r. h. wheels
After finding the frame, attaching the suspension and running-gear, installing the wiring harness and all electrical components, the body was added. Windows had to be installed, lights connected and every other part necessary to complete a vehicle. With numerous interruptions, I managed to assemble the myriad components that make up a Unimog S.
I vividly remember road-testing, no, make that field- and stream testing, this new “toy” with the supervisor for the better part of two days, “just to make sure everything works and nothing comes loose”. We never even came close to exploring the Unimog’s true capability, even though our ‘testing ground’ was the construction site of a new freeway, where a protruding hill was moved from one side of the Don River to the other side of the valley. I later spent a full day in the wash bay removing mud.
Almost ready to leave the shop
To this day I never found out why this first Unimog S came to Canada in about 10,999 parts, more or less. Only the engine was almost complete, even the transmission housing had been empty on arrival, all we had to supply was oil, coolant and other fluids, including air. I mention this, because I also mounted and inflated the tires. At another time, in a different shop one finicky customer of a dissimilar make of car, imported from Europe, insisted before taking delivery, that the shop deflate the tires – including the spare – and inflate them again with fresh Canadian air, while he observed. Management had issued instructions that all personnel involved in this procedure had to maintain a serious demeanor.
Back to reality!
Exploring Unimog’s potential, doing the twist
The ‘Unimog S’ uses the 2.2 liter (134 cubic inch) engine of the passenger car, with a number of modifications. These include a 24 Volt electrical system, an ‘off-road’ carburetor to avoid flooding or stalling on steep inclines and a strengthened oil pan with stabilizer bars to keep the engine and transmission aligned in rough terrain. The “S” became popular as a military vehicle because of its higher speed. Produced until 1980, the Type S404 became the best selling model in the Unimog’s history.
Most Unimog aficionados lucky enough to find an “S” for restoration and personal use, can further modify the engine, or use a variety of other Mercedes engines for extra power and speed.
Engine from the 220-series passenger car, modified for off-road use
Meanwhile, back in Germany, the more customers became familiar with the ‘Mog, the more they demanded from it. Daimler-Benz expanded the model range by introducing the larger type 406 in 1963. And still they wanted more, especially for heavy agricultural work. But The Unimog is a “universal implement carrier”, not a heavy duty farm tractor. For those most demanding farmers D-B developed a more task specific “MB-trac” agricultural tractor in 1972 – but that’s another story.
To keep the universality of the Unimog intact and enable it to perform ever more demanding tasks, the first heavy duty Unimog of the 425 series was produced in 1974.
After twenty five years of production the Unimog had proven its diversity and superiority around the world. If anybody could imagine another task, Unimog could perform it. Stories by the thousands describe how a Unimog ‘saved the day’. Pushing airliners into their hanger, pulling freight cars to another siding, fighting fires or taking on a rescue where no mountain goat dare to tread, Unimog was in demand more than any other tool on earth.
Inventors continue to invent, and engineers go on with improving what is almost perfect. Starting in 1985, Daimler-Benz renewed the complete line of Unimogs in several stages. In 1986 the type 419 was intended as a military vehicle, and it was offered to countries around the world. ‘Land Defense Customers’ drive Unimogs, from the high Arctic to the Sahara. They include the United Nations (UN), NATO, the Military of the USA, France, Switzerland, Australia, Africa, New Zealand, Denmark and Germany – I’m sure I missed more than a few.
Decommissioned Unimogs from the French Military awaiting civilian customers
As DaimlerChrysler, the company is now the world’s largest producer of commercial vehicles. With two hundred standard models, from a van to a 140 ton heavy duty truck, DC has formed a “Military Vehicles Division” to offer the best possible selection.
But not only soldiers use Unimogs, besides farmers, loggers, linemen, explorers, fire brigades, rescue teams, construction firms, railroads companies and … --- where is my occupations manual? Hobbyists and friends of motorsports have also found many new types of entertainment and competition, like off-road camping or rock climbing or racing in a wilderness rally.
The now famous, or infamous (depending on one’s point of view), Paris to Dakar rally for motorcycles, cars and trucks runs in stages from France, thru the Pyrenean Mountains, to the Mediterranean Sea, then crosses to Africa to take on the Sahara and crisscrossing several countries to finish some 10,000 kilometers later in Senegal. In its fourth running in 1982 Unimog won the truck category in a spectacular way with a crew driving a model 1700L to first place and a 1300L in a close second position.
After several years of researching, refining and revising, the (then) top of the line U2450 L 6X6 was launched in the mid-eighties. This Super-‘Mog has three axles and ten times the power of its oldest sibling of 1949.
Some models, half the size of a “normal” truck, are able to carry a payload of up to 15.5 tons. Others, with only two axles, can pull a small railroad train, though not at 55 miles per hour.
Starting in 1992, Daimler-Benz made available a new lightweight and a medium-heavy 408 and 419 series that are particularly suitable for jobs performed by municipal works departments. The small UX 100, produced since 1996, is very much in demand, because it’s compact and agile.
The same fate (or fortune?) which has befallen other serious off-road performers, has lately happened to the Unimog as well: Cult status. To cater to those individuals who would drive to the opera in an XYZ AWD – I must not favor any make – but prefer to carry a star on the grill, the FunMog was built. Conspicuously designed and lavishly equipped, the FunMog is a crowd pleaser at any gala or at the club.
The FunMog would turn heads even at an inauguration, but isnot suitable for those trying to “hide their light under a bushel”
And now, after more than fifty years of Unimog production, and even more “variations on a theme”, on to the new century.
Since the year 2000, the new U300, U400 and U500 “off-road-capable implement carrier” are available, and the U3000, U4000 and U5000 are termed “extreme off-road transporter”, with up to 16 tons of payload. And among these six model-groups the Unimog offers more versatility than ever before. Each is available with short or long wheelbase, and with a variety of engines. The model designations have been reduced from a previous 36 to these six, the frame variations from 135 to four and the cabin types from 46 to six. That’s progress!
The newly designed ‘cockpit’, the drivers work-station, called VarioPilot can be moved from the left side to the right and back again in mere seconds. (less than 60) This is particularly advantageous for municipal work or when high accuracy is required, such as in plowing competitions.J The good looking cabin is now made of fiber composite materials and the new Diesel engines have up to 280 hp (205 kW). With the newest electronic ‘engine management system’ technology, particulate filter and Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD) fuel, the Unimog is available in any color, but they all are ‘green’.
‘Moggers’ celebrate the 50th anniversary in Gaggenau
After producing more than 320,000 Unimogs in Gaggenau, the Mog’s home was moved again in 2002. This time it went to Wörth, another site of DaimlerChrysler’s commercial vehicles assembly, again not very far away.
In typical PR lingo the company announced: The relocation of the Unimog Unit to the Wörth plant is designed to increase competitiveness still further. It will also create further synergies through the use of existing buildings and production equipment such as the paint facilities.
The employees, approx. 700 in number, will continue to work according to an optimally restructured version of the successful "Unimog business model" practiced to date. The corporate management and the works council have created ideal conditions for ensuring that, if possible, all employees of the Unimog Unit will relocate to Wörth.
Not to be outdone by other ‘civilian’ versions of serious off-road travelers, one of the Mercedes tuner companies, Brabus, offered an even more ‘civilized’ version of the FunMog in 2005. This version is built for serious fun and for seriously well-off customers. The interior could put many a luxury car to shame, and its high tech features would allow you to pay a visit to your oil well in the desert at 100 km/h-plus on compass–cruise mode, while you finish your office chores in climate controlled comfort. ‘Black Mog” was introduced at the Dubai Auto Show. Enough said?
The “Unimog Black” is the ‘baddest’ of them all
Aside from the phenomenal capabilities engineered into the Unimog, the most unusual characteristic of the ‘Mog is this: according to the Morgenthau Plan, to come into force at the end of World War II, German companies had been destined “to never again produce anything likely to be used for military purposes”. In a weird and wonderful twist of engineering fate this “agricultural implement carrier”, the cream of the crop of off-road vehicles, is in demand by Armed Forces around the world.
In the months to come we will explore various ways of working with and on the Unimog, as well as engaging the ‘Mog in other pursuits; explore what makes a Unimog tick, purr or rumble, and how it’s possible for this tiny tot to pull a train, or race across a sandy desert. We might meet the “Unimog’s Brother”, the MB-trac, and the new UnimogMuseum will get a virtual visit. And I’ll tell about a stranger I met, now a friend, who has an amazing collection of Unimogs, -- as many as you can count in the two pictures with multiple ‘Mogs, -- combined, that is. You can see some of them at
http://www.miklyn.com/unimog.html ; Mike might even sell you a used one. No, I would not gain anything from that. Nor, if you would buy a new Unimog at a Freightliner truck dealership for a few more ‘pecuniae’. But if you decide to get a “Unimog Black”, I would truly like to receive an invitation for a “field trip”. Thanks already.
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