Mercedes Showcases Unimog Concept
It’s hard to believe that the unrivalled king of the heavy duty truck market will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Created to meet a military demand for a heavy duty truck with a smaller footprint and greater off-road prowess, the Unimog line has grown to include vehicles outfitted for roles ranging from telephone line maintenance to heavy load hauling, and just about everything in between. Never sacrificing its uniquely potent blend of portal axles, relatively short wheelbases and massive tires, the Unimog has managed to bring yesterday’s tried and tested technology into the 21st century without sacrificing its position as the premier off-road vehicle.
So, to celebrate this storied vehicle’s 60th anniversary, Mercedes brought this concept vehicle to the Daimler factory that produces them, at Wörth. In Mercedes’ own words, “The design concept combines the past and future of the Unimog in an extremely avantgardist way,” with an open top design that pays respect to the old open-topped military trucks on yore perched atop a thoroughly modern chassis design that is actually a modified version of the current U-500 platform.
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 uncomfortably-named "Concept Design 60 Years Unimog" has shown impressively that a great deal of innovation is still possible in the engineering of future Unimog generations. However, while this concept vehicle will no doubt surprise everyone who sees it, experts and enthusiasts, users and customers alike, Mercedes Benz is quick with the caveat that it does in no way reflect an upcoming evolution of the Unimog line.