A look into the future. - Australian Unimog Expeditions

www.mercedes-benz.com June 2011
Mercedes-Benz
Unimog
The magazine for multi-functional applications.
A look into the future.
We lift the veil of secrecy and present the
future vision of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog.
History: 60 years of fascination I People: Witnesses to a legend
1 2011
Unimog_0111_02-03_EN_02-03 22.06.11 18:01 Seite 2
2 EDITORIAL
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Dear friends of Unimog,
this year is a special one for
us, as we mark a big anniversary. It was on June 3rd, 1951
that the first Mercedes-Benz
Unimog rolled off the production line in Gaggenau, setting
in motion what was to become
a global success story. So this
year we are celebrating the
60th birthday of the Unimog
“universal motor machine”
bearing the three-pointed star.
There are many stories to tell from the 60 years of the Unimog. We have therefore created a very special issue of Unimog Magazine for you to receive. In it,
we take the opportunity for a look back: How has the Unimog changed over
time? What genes are still recognisable in it today? We also look back at the
history of the magazine: How has the “Unimog Ratgeber” (Unimog Guide)
grown into a “magazine for multi-functional applications”? We also interview
some of the key personalities involved: How have they experienced and
enjoyed the Unimog over the years? We pay a visit to the Mercedes-Benz
Design Department in Sindelfingen, where something else really special has
been created to mark the anniversary, and where we take a peek at the future
of the Unimog.
This anniversary issue of the Unimog Magazine also, as usual, investigates
some extraordinary Unimog applications – including a visit to the Marseilles
Marine Fire Battalion, a fire service of the French Naval Command which has
been using the Unimog for many decades. On our visit we meet Jean-Louis
Farcy. The frigate captain and long-time head of the Engineering and Procurement department reports on the benefits the Unimog offers in fire-fighting and
as an emergency rescue and recovery vehicle around Marseilles. And of
course no anniversary issue would be complete without a visit to the Unimog
Museum in Gaggenau – especially as it, too, is marking a milestone this year:
five years since it opened.
So we hope very much you will enjoy the stories we have to tell – and we look
forward to seeing you in person soon too: You are cordially invited to attend
our anniversary celebration for all customers, partners and friends of the
Unimog to be held on June 4th at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth. And
there will be even more opportunities to mark the 60th anniversary of the
Mercedes-Benz Unimog this year. Check out the diary of events on page 42.
All of this would not have been possible without you. So I would like to take
this opportunity to thank you for your many years of loyalty and devotion!
We look forward to a happy and prosperous future together with you. And with
the Unimog.
Best regards,
Yarış Pürsün
Mercedes-Benz Wörth Plant Manager and Director
of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks Division
History
04 A success story in pictures:
60 years of the Unimog
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • CONTENTS 3
History
04
08
12
Then and now 60 years of the Unimog in pictures.
Genetic research A DNA analysis of a very special kind: the genes of
the Unimog.
A devotee’s guide conquers the world The Unimog Magazine over the years.
Partners
16
20
Pioneering efforts in Berlin Endres has been working with Unimog since 1951.
The Berlin company has seen many changes over the last 60 years.
United by tradition Mulag and Unimog – a long-standing partnership.
Fire-fighting
24
“En garde” on the Côte d’Azur When its work hots up, the Marseilles Marine
Fire Battalion has for many years been relying on expert help: the Unimog.
28
30
32
Multi-generational arguments Long-standing customers in focus.
A bug with long-term effects Six witnesses tell their story.
Affairs of the heart Interview with plant manager Yarış Pürsün,
development manager Walter Eisele and sales manager Michael Dietz.
34
History meets future The Mercedes-Benz Design Department was
challenged to come up with something special to mark the 60th
anniversary. Its creativity is impressive ...
Accurate reproduction for true devotees It’s here: the first official
Lego Unimog.
20
People
Design
37
24
Museum
38
Living history The Unimog Museum in Gaggenau was opened five years ago.
40
Fun and friendship without borders The Unimog Club is truly international:
friends of the Unimog are to be found all over the world.
42
43
Diary/Aid for Japan/Six models for 60 years
World Tour, part II
Unimog Clubs
Uniscope
Publisher’s data
Publisher: Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, Sales Marketing, D -76742 Wörth
Responsible at publisher: Benjamin Syring, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks
Editorial committee: Benjamin Syring, Marion Frank
Authors: Thomas Maier (42 f.), Ralf Maile (4 ff.) and as indicated below the articles concerned Photos: Cover picture: © Daimler AG; Page 2: © Henrik Morlock (l.), © Daimler AG (r.); Page 3: © Mulag (1), © Marseilles Marine
Fire Battalion (2), © Henrik Morlock (3), © Henrik Morlock/Daimler AG (4); Page 4: © Daimler AG,
© Schmidt/Uhl collection (M./3); Page 5: © Daimler AG, © Niemoller/Maile collection (M./2); Page 6:
© Daimler AG, © Schmidt/Uhl collection (M.), © Werner/Maile collection (bottom); Page 7: © Daimler AG,
© Ralf Maile (bottom/1+2), © Schaeper/Maile collection (bottom/3); Page 8–11: © Maile archive, DNA: © [M]
Benjaminet/fotolia; Page 12–15: © Maile archive; Page 16, 18: © Thomas Koy; Page 17: © Endres; Page 19:
© Christa Guse; Page 20–23: © Mulag; Page 24–27: © Ralf Maile, Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion (p. 24),
Günther Uhl (p. 26 bottom); Page 28–29: © Martin Heying; Page 30 f.: © Henrik Morlock; Page 32-36: © Henrik
Morlock/Daimler AG; Page 37: © Henrik Morlock/Daimler AG, © Martin Ziegler (bottom r.); Page 38–39:
© Unimog Museum; Page 40–41: © Ray/fotolia (flags), © Jeff Stevens (MogFest), © Carl-Heinz Vogler, © Julian
Witte/fotolia (world map); Page 42: © Daimler AG, © S. Löw (top l.); Page 43: © Riton Grab; Production: Verlag
Heinrich Vogel, Springer Fachmedien München GmbH, Corporate Publishing, Aschauer Straße 30, D-81549
Munich, Tel.: +49 (0)89 203043-1122; Graphics: Dierk Naumann (Art Direction), Bianca Radke; Editorial staff:
Susanne Löw; Project management: Susanne Löw, Matthias Pioro; Printed by: F&W Mediencenter GmbH,
Holzhauser Feld 2, D-83361 Kienberg Translation: beo Gesellschaft für Sprachen & Technologie mbH, Freischützstraße 9, D-81927 Munich
Unimog Magazine is published twice a year, in English, German, French and Spanish. All rights reserved.
Reproduction and electronic processing are only permitted with written authorisation from the publishers.
No liability can be accepted for any unsolicited articles and images sent to us.
Printed on paper bleached without chlorine • Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany
30
34
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r The 1950s
As a child of the Morgenthau Plan, the Unimog was originally conceived as an all-terrain agricultural
machine. But after just a short time it began to utilise all the facets reflected in its name. It grew into
a truly universal motor machine, deployed on a wide variety of applications in industry, municipal
works and construction, as well as by fire services. Despite its versatility, it has never lost sight of its
original conception as an agricultural and forestry vehicle.
Unimog_0111_04-07_EN_04_05 22.06.11 18:02 Seite 5
r The 1960s
From a single Unimog base model an entire family rapidly developed, offering just the right solution
for virtually any type of work. The range of applications also spread continually, extending to many
different sectors and industries. A tried and proven implement carrier, the Unimog is equally adept
at working in narrow city centre locations, at airports or on rail tracks. It still feels most at home in
off-road applications, where it is capable of overcoming virtually any obstacle in its way.
Unimog_0111_04-07_EN_04_05 22.06.11 18:02 Seite 6
r The 1970s and 1980s
The model designs of these decades still very often
dictate the public image of the Unimog. Durability is
just one of its genetic characteristics however. Its offroad capability, its flexibility as an implement carrier,
its particular suitability as a base unit for unusual
special-purpose vehicles, and the large number of
mounting options available for it make it a true legend.
Almost no job is too tough for it. It operates quickly,
safely and cost-effectively, all over the world – often
in hostile climatic and topographical conditions.
Unimog_0111_04-07_EN_04_05 22.06.11 18:02 Seite 7
r The 1990s to date
The current Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 models, with
their supreme off-road capabilities, are continually
being updated and improved. They are to be found
working in the energy industry, taking part in expeditions and playing a vital role in fire-fighting services.
Together with the off-road implement carriers of the
U 20, U 300/ U 400/U 500 series, the modern-day
embodiments of the Unimog concept are proving
worthy successors to the historic original, and are
helping to preserve and steadily build upon a solid
reputation established over a period of 60 years.
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8 HISTORY
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Genetic research
The Unimog Magazine has been doing some DNA analysis. What are
the genetic building blocks of the Unimog “universal motor machine”
which have been so successfully propagated over the last 60 years?
Text: Ralf Maile/Susanne Löw
1953. IN THE SAME YEAR that the first Unimog bearing the
Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star rolled off the production line,
British/American research team Francis Crick and James Watson
achieved a major milestone in the history of science. They discovered
the double-helix structure of DNA. This meant that the processes
underlying biological inheritance could now be investigated and
individual genetic building blocks analysed.
A DNA analysis of the Unimog is likewise extremely revealing.
A notable aspect of that genetic make-up is that many of the original
characteristics of the “universal motor machine” bred into it right
from its early years are still to be found in the present-day generation
of vehicles. For good reasons.
1963
A higher powered variant is added to the
Unimog range with the new 406 series.
1951 Production under the three-pointed star: the
Unimog U 25 from the 401 series.
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • HISTORY 9
2000
Start of production of the 405 series.
The new Unimog generation U 300/U 400/U 500 as
a professional implement carrier.
The robustness and reliability of the Unimog, for example, is founded
on long-standing design principles: four wheels of equal size; all-wheel
drive with differential locks; portal axles with thrust tubes and
helical springs; and a flexible frame construction. Front and rear
power take-off shafts are likewise features which have been part of
the Unimog’s history from its early days. The implement carrier
design has been continually refined over the past 60 years.
It has also been imbued with great virtues of economy in
terms of consumption and maintenance intervals.
ü
1992
The light series 408 is launched with the
Unimog U 90. The bonnet styling provides optimum
visibility of the front-mounted implements.
1988
The Unimog range is completely revised.
The new medium-range 427 series, with its distinctive
cab design, goes into production.
1966 The 100,000th Unimog rolls off the production
line. The newly developed 421 series emerges.
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10 HISTORY
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
2002 Relocation of the Unimog to the Wörth plant.
Market launch of the high off-road capability Unimog
U 3000/U 4000/U 5000 models of the 437 series.
r All-wheel drive from the very beginning
Emerging talents have been passed down from generation to
generation in the vehicle’s genes. They include supreme off-road capability and torsional flexibility, without restricting the cab or body
design; and a high ground clearance, enabling the Unimog to handle
slopes and ramps without bottoming out or bumping body parts. And
not to forget: power take-off shafts and units with flexible mounting
points, enabling different drive modes, today just as in those early
days.
Other outstanding features offered by the Unimog family include
great manoeuvrability in tight spaces, maintaining constant speeds
in both forward and reverse, as well as smooth, rapid running. The
descendants of the original Unimog continue to handle the toughest
of climatic and topographical conditions safely and assuredly.
Such a DNA analysis inevitably also encourages questions as to
how the genetic make-up will develop in future. The key features of
r The original Unimog genes
The Unimog was the first working vehicle to feature a full cab with
a forward-facing seat for the passenger too – as opposed to the
conventional tractor. With its flat-bed rear as a load space or a base
for implement mounting, its compact dimensions with short overhangs, allied to the easy engine compartment accessibility and low
operating costs it offered,
the Unimog’s “original
genes” have been
passed down all
This pencil sketch of an all-wheel drive agricultural vehicle is by
Heinrich Rößler, designer and “father” of the Unimog. It was produced in January 1946, shortly before Rößler joined Erhard & Söhne.
The drawing already incorporates some of the design features
which have remained characteristic of the Unimog to this day.
the way to the
present-day
generation.
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • HISTORY 11
the Unimog have been tried and proven over the past 60 years. Based
on those attributes, the all-rounder will doubtless continue to set the
benchmark for the next 60 years too. The Unimog is also currently
demonstrating its genetic fitness for the future, such as in its
eco-friendliness.
Achievement rewarded
In 1962 Francis Crick and James Watson, together with
another colleague, were awarded the Nobel Prize for
Medicine in recognition of their work on the structure
of DNA. The 1950s appear to have been a golden age
for innovative ideas ... r
2008 The compact U 20 fits in the Unimog range
at the lower end of the power spectrum. It is a universal
implement carrier with a gross vehicle weight rating from
7.5 to 9.3 tonnes. It is the first to feature the so-called
front control cab.
r It’s all about centre of gravity
r Well sprung: portal axles
The Unimog’s axle construction and suspension have always been
among its outstanding features. Helical springs and shock absorbers ensure a safe, comfortable ride even on rough terrain, without placing undue stress and strain on the
driver, the vehicle or any mounted implements. Wide spring travel allows
the vehicle to adapt closely to the
topography of the terrain. Thanks
A low centre of gravity, combined with a powerful all-wheel drive
set-up, including differential locks, enables the Unimog to handle
steep uphill and downhill slopes safely. In conjunction with its high
ground clearance, this means the Unimog can work in locations
where no other wheeled vehicle could get through.
to the difference in height between
the axle and wheel centres, the
portal design allows for high ground
clearance beneath the axles.
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12 HISTORY
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
From “Unimog Ratgeber” 4/1960:
A look at Gottlieb Daimler’s workshop
in Bad Cannstatt near Stuttgart.
1953
1954
1960
In 1953 the first issue of “Unimog Ratgeber” (“Unimog
The magazine gradually increases its use of
Issue 4/1960 presents a detailed
Guide”; in black-and-white, 16 pages) is published.
photos, introduces user reports from outside
profile of the Daimler-Benz corpora-
It features trade fair reports, details of new mounting
of Germany, and begins including advertise-
tion and its production facilities in
implements, and practical hints and tips.
ments from implement manufacturers.
Germany.
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • HISTORY 13
A devotee’s guide conquers the world
Almost 200 issues of the Unimog Magazine have been published since 1953. We take a look back, paying particular
attention to number 4/1960 – a very special issue of what was to become today’s global magazine phenomenon.
Text: Ralf Maile/Susanne Löw
“OUR CUSTOMER MAGAZINE is eight years old, and to mark the
occasion we invite you, the Unimog family, to pay a visit with us to the
Daimler-Benz works.” These were the opening lines of the editorial
in issue 4/1960 of the then recently established
predecessor to this publication, “Unimog
Ratgeber”. The insight into the in-house
workings and production facilities
made this issue a very special one,
as it marked a move away from
the usual stock of items on
after-sales service, technical
features and reports on visits to
Unimog users around Germany.
“This time we decided to stay at
home and take a look around on your
behalf,” the editorial goes on.
The unmistakeable message of issue 4/1960 is:
“The Unimog is a Daimler.” Indeed, the magazine’s cover features a
zoomed image of the Mercedes three-pointed star adorning the
radiator grille of a Unimog. It represents a clear statement by the
concern of its commitment to the Unimog. The rest of the features
in the issue make clear that the expansion of the Unimog’s range
of applications from an agricultural machine to a universal vehicle for
a wide variety of different sectors was already well
under way.
In an ode to the 15-year success story
of the Unimog in agriculture, its
economical attributes are praised
under the illustrated heading
“Zeit ist Geld” (“time is money”):
“This is where the UNIMOG
delivers the decisive benefit! Its
speed means travel times are
halved, so greatly rationalising farm
operations. In fact, UNIMOG owners
could cut their working time by a third or
more.” The readers are then asked the obvious
question leading on from that claim: “Have you really got so much
money that you don’t need a UNIMOG?” The following pages present a
detailed profile of the Daimler-Benz production plants in Stuttgart,
1965
1969
1973
The format, colour, font and logo change
Global reports and trade fair reviews
Now titled “Unimog”, from 1972 the
over time. Now printed in colour, from
become established features. In focus:
magazine is produced in wider format.
the mid 1960s on the magazine features
new Unimog model launches and
In 1976 the title is changed to “Unimog +
greater use of pictures.
innovative mounting implements.
MB-trac”.
ü
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14 HISTORY
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
r The Unimog as a bringer of love and happiness
The capabilities of the Unimog have been
widely detailed and praised. Yet one little
known fact is that, back in 1964, the
Unimog even acted as a marital matchmaker. In issue 1/1964 of “Unimog Ratgeber”, the predecessor of this publication, gardener Karl-Heinrich Noltensmeier
from Extertal read a report about the
vegetable market in Bielefeld. It featured
a picture of a then 22-year-old young lady named Annegret
Hokamp from Herford driving a Unimog, accompanied by a report
on the Unimog’s role in her family’s vegetable-growing business.
The interest of the 34-year-old bachelor was aroused. He contacted
the magazine to obtain her address, met up with her, and one year
later the pair were married. They soon had four children, happily
growing up at the nursery business run by their parents – with a
Unimog to help of course. To celebrate Annegret Noltensmeier’s
70th birthday in April 2011, among the presents she received from
her children were a visit to the Unimog
Museum in Gaggenau and a copy of that
issue 1/1964 of “Unimog Ratgeber”, in
which Karl-Heinrich Noltensmeier found
his future wife.
We at Unimog Magazine would also like to
add our most sincere congratulations on
a special birthday!
Michael Wessel
Mannheim, Sindelfingen and Marienfelde. Photo strips illustrate the
key importance of the Unimog in post-war Germany, underlining the
major role it played in the country’s rapid reconstruction and
development.
Another topic in “Unimog Ratgeber” issue 4/1960 related to work
trends in the production environment. A balanced view is presented
of the widespread scepticism felt at the time with regard to the
emerging automation of processes as well as the opportunities it
offered. One employee is quoted as follows: “Even in a highly
developed country like America, it is thought that automation will
only be possible in a quarter of all factories. There is no doubt that
automation, where it is possible and useful, will lead to structural
changes in our workforce which will be beneficial. There will in
future be far fewer ‘workers’, but many more machine maintenance
staff, electricians, mechanics and engineers. Many of our skilled staff
will have to make the change from manual activity to more mental,
intellectual work.” In terms of the changes seen in some areas of
work at least, that appraisal was very accurate for its time.
Issue 4/1960 concludes with a report on the last of the Daimler-Benz
plants: Gaggenau is the home of the Unimog; it is where its heart
beats. The famous Daimler-Benz slogan is then reformulated,
inseparably uniting Daimler and Unimog in a single phrase: “Your
good star on all roads – and off-road too.”
A change of name, but the content remains the same
The first issue of the present-day Unimog Magazine had, in fact,
appeared seven years earlier, in 1953. The publication has changed its
name frequently since that time: from “Unimog Ratgeber”, to “Unimog
Journal”, to “Unimog Magazine”. Yet despite its name-changes, the
magazine today is still what it was always intended to be: a valuable
devotee’s guide, providing important information in a professional
and at the same time entertaining manner. Its concerns have also
1977
1989
Starting in 1977, two different editions of
When the MB-trac was allocated its own dedicated magazine,
“Unimog + MB-trac” are published in parallel. The “L” edition is aimed at
“Unimog + MB-trac” was renamed “Unimog”, and as from
agricultural and forestry customers, while the “G” edition is intended for light industrial
1990, “Unimog Journal”. Its focus was aligned to features on
and municipal works users.
international applications and country profiles.
Unimog_0111_12-15_EN_12_15 22.06.11 18:10 Seite 15
Pictures from issue 4/1960 of “Unimog Ratgeber”: Parts are shipped all over the world on a daily basis (left). On the engine assembly line the OM 636, which also powers the
Unimog 411, is assembled and installed (right).
included: What is happening in the world of the Unimog? What new
areas of application are opening up? What advantages do new technical
developments deliver? Practical hints and tips have been a key element
of the magazine from its very beginnings, as have features on often
unusual Unimog applications from all over the world, recounted from
the users’ viewpoint. Regular features also include presentations of new
models and implements for mounting on the Unimog, as well as news
on new areas of application, technical details and legal requirements.
The magazine also covers industry events and trade fairs, as well as
presenting news from the Unimog Club, the Unimog Museum in
Gaggenau and other points of interest in the Unimog world.
The Unimog Magazine – a collector’s passion
The Unimog Magazine was initially targeted primarily at customers
and potential sales leads. But it did not stay that way for long. It soon
also attracted general Unimog fans. Features of particular interest were
covered by numerous special issues. Up until the late 1980s the magazine also covered the MB-trac – a tractor based on the Unimog platform.
Today the Unimog is its sole focus. It does occasionally also include
news from Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks on the other models in the
range, the Econic and the Zetros. It is not only the magazine’s target
group which has changed and expanded over the years; its reach has
spread too. The Unimog Magazine is today published in four languages.
Occasionally special national issues are published to mark particular
events in the country concerned. So it is no wonder that issues of
“Unimog Ratgeber”, the “Unimog Journal” and “Unimog Magazine”
from previous eras have long become genuine collectors’ items, traded
at top prices on international exchanges. They are sold on eBay for as
much as 100 Euro a copy. So if you are not already doing so, you should
seriously think about preserving for posterity all the copies you receive.
Starting with this one. Who knows what it might be worth in 50 years’
time ...
r
2001
2002
2010
This issue celebrates 50 years of the Unimog,
“Mercedes-Benz Unimog. The magazine for
Almost 200 issues, plus a number of specials,
and is accompanied by a special supplement
multi-functional applications” is the tag-line on
have been published to date. The magazine is
to mark the occasion. The upcoming reloca-
the cover page which has been retained to
produced in multiple languages, and reaches
tion to Wörth is also a major topic.
this day – it is a perfect description.
readers all over the world.
Unimog_0111_16-19_EN_16-19 22.06.11 18:26 Seite 16
16 PARTNERS
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Pioneering efforts in Berlin
The 60th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog is also being celebrated by the Endres company,
because it has been a customer since the very beginning. Unimog Magazine looks back.
Text: Susanne Löw
AFTER HAVING CREATED the Mercedes-Benz
Unimog, it was necessary to set up an organisation with the know-how to sell the product to
the customers. The first dealers chosen were
Henne Unimog in Munich, Knoblauch GmbH
in Immendingen and Autohaus Schmalz + Sohn
GmbH in Oberndorf, each of whom began their
selling operations on January 1st, 1951. It was
on November 29th, 1951 that the contract was
signed with Hans-Henning Endres and it
marked the launch of a distributorship agreement which has now been selling the Unimog
around the Berlin area for 60 years. “It was a
major milestone for my father,” recounts HansRüdiger Endres, son of company founder HansHenning. Hans-Rüdiger Endres and his sister
Angelika Meyer-Grant have been working in
the family business since 1971. Last year the
Endres company marked its 65th anniversary
– so the celebrations have rolled on from one
year to the next. And they are a good reason to
take a look back.
In its early years Endres’s selling territory
was restricted to what was then West Berlin,
where there was little agriculture to provide a
major customer base. Consequently, Endres
had to seek out other market segments. As
Hans-Rüdiger Endres asserts: “My father can
really be considered a pioneer, as he helped
the Unimog make the breakthrough as a towing workhorse”. Thanks to its strong pulling
power and its ability to hitch up two trailers,
the Unimog was useful as a towing vehicle for
coal and potato sellers, and was then later
employed by fuel and steel traders, scaffolders,
freight carriers and industrial customers. The
Unimog was also ideally suited to carrying
equipment and implements used in municipal
works. So it was that in 1955 the Berlin street
cleaning corporation awarded the Unimog its
first bulk contract for Winter clearance
vehicles. By the time the Berlin Wall came
down, Endres had sold over 2,000 Unimogs.
A new era after the wall came down
Berlin underwent great structural change as a
result of Germany’s reunification. Entire
sectors, including the scaffolding business for
example, moved away to cheaper areas outside
of the city. This meant that the distances needing to be covered increased, so competition
from trucks grew. In view of those factors,
Endres decided to expand its operations across
the whole of Berlin and surrounding areas,
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PARTNERS 17
Opposite page: Managing Director Hans-Rüdiger Endres (left) and sales advisor Harald Benthin in front of the Endres workshop on Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee in Berlin.
Top left: The Berlin fire service began using the Unimog at an early stage in its history.
Top right: The Unimog was also widely used at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport.
Bottom left, centre: The Unimog has always provided the ideal solution for sewage plant operations of the Berlin water corporation. Today the Unimog U 300 is used
to carry away sewage sludge.
Bottom right: A U 401, once part of the Berlin municipal street cleaning fleet, is today on display at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau.
and began looking for new target markets.
The new era posed many challenges. Endres
focused on its cooperation with Daimler AG. In
order to devote the necessary resources to that
exclusive partnership, the company needed to
broaden the reach of its service organisation
and restructure its selling operations. Some
new markets also emerged for the Unimog,
including the highway maintenance corporation in the state of Brandenburg, the energy
industry, the overhead cable production sector,
as well as dual road-rail operation. Many businesses in eastern Germany had their own rail
heads.
The three key pillars of the business have
remained constant to this day: selling vehicles,
parts, and workshop services. The concept for
the new era proved successful; many customers
in the Berlin/Brandenburg region now place
their trust in Endres. Three prominent examples are the Brandenburg state road corporation Landesbetrieb Straßenwesen (LS for short);
the Berlin water corporation Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB); and local municipal fire
services.
The first bulk order from LS came in 1990.
Today each of the 12 motorway and 33 municipal road maintenance depots operates two or
three Unimogs. As sales advisor Harald Benthin
explains: “With its power hydraulics and its
front and rear power take-off shafts enabling it
to power a wide range of mounted equipment,
the Unimog is a truly universal implement carrier”. His colleague Bernd Hänsel adds: “What
we offer customers are system solutions – they
get the vehicles, and the implements to mount
on them, all from a single source”. This results
in the creation of custom solutions, such as a
Unimog with a special Söder verge cutter, or a
Unimog U 500 with a long wheelbase and
interchangeable crane. Another special solution features a Unimog U 500 with a Faun road
sweeper, which can be interchanged with
grass-mowers and Winter snow clearing implements. The various motorway and road maintenance depots are always keen to exchange
views and experiences in order to keep up with
all the latest potentially useful system
solutions. This is an ideal opportunity for
Endres, as it means existing customers regularly demonstrate their vehicle solutions to
new potential customers!
Another major customer of Endres is the
Berlin water corporation (BWB). One of the
ü
Unimog_0111_16-19_EN_16-19 22.06.11 18:26 Seite 18
18 PARTNERS
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
r Endres company history
1945
Founded by HansHenning Endres
(selling agricultural
machinery and
equipment)
special tasks required by BWB is the transportation of sewage sludge. A key challenge in
this is that the vehicle carrying the sludge over
the soft ground to the waiting truck must run
alongside the slow-moving cutter. For this application, too, the solution is a Unimog. The Berlin
water corporation made use of the early
Unimog series with wide tyres. That model
was updated in the 1990s, and today the
sewage plant operations are handled by the
Unimog U 300.
All good things come in threes. The municipal fire services in the state of Brandenburg
have been Endres customers since 2008. They
have already acquired 10 Unimog U 5000 units.
In view of the fact that over the years the
Unimog has grown into a highly specialised
implement carrier, Endres is always keen to
demonstrate its attributes to customers.
In 2009, working in collaboration with neighbouring Unimog dealers, Endres organised a
fire service training event on the vehicle
proving grounds in Horstwalde south of Berlin.
Around 600 interested firefighters took the
opportunity to get to know the Unimog in a
wide variety of operational scenarios over the
course of the two-day event. The exercises
1951
Unimog main agent
for West Berlin
included testing the vehicle’s prowess on
winding stretches, on steep slopes and in
water-filled ditches. “You really have to experience the vehicle in action,” explains Bernd
Hänsel. He recounts the training event with
visible enthusiasm, founded on years of
experience as a Unimog salesman. He has
been working for Endres, based on the banks
of Berlin’s river Spree, since 1990. Hänsel’s is
a classic case of being bitten by the Unimog
bug, as he himself freely admits. “You have
to be very flexible and creative, as you are
dealing with different kinds of investors, with
civil servants, with industrial buyers, and with
contractors. That makes selling the Unimog a
really exciting challenge.” As Harald Benthin
reaffirms: “After all, the Unimog is a very
special kind of vehicle”.
Collector’s passion par excellence
The enthusiasm of Hans-Rüdiger Endres for
the Unimog has for many years been expressed
not merely in his business life. He has also
developed a passion in parallel with his career,
as a collector of model Unimogs in all sizes.
His interest in 1:1 scale Unimogs is focused
primarily on vehicles that were employed for
r Old Berlin treasures – Hans-Rüdiger Endres’s collection of classic Unimogs
U 2010 Built 1952; original owner: Zickerick dairy, Wilhelm Zickerick
U 401 Built 1955; original owner: Berlin municipal street cleaning
corporation (BSR); location: Unimog Museum/Gaggenau
U 401 Snow plough; built 1956; original owner: BSR; owned by:
Deutsches Technikmuseum/Berlin
U 406 Snow plough; built 1974; original owner: Berlin airport
corporation (BFG); location: Unimog Museum/Gaggenau
U 416 Ruthmann inclined lift truck; built 1974; original owner:
Berlin Police Authority
U 421 Built 1985; original owner: Berlin Fire Service
U 406 Built 1988; original owner: Berlin water corporation (BWB)
1957
Motor vehicle workshop
added
1964
Company premises
moved from
Berliner Strasse 37 to
Kaiserin-Augusta-Allee 4
the city of Berlin. “As a collector of vintage and
classic vehicles you have to specialise, otherwise there’s no end to it,” he explains his choice.
He currently owns six full-size Unimogs which
he has restored (see box below). Some of them
are displayed at the Unimog Museum in
Gaggenau. But sometimes all Hans-Rüdiger
Endres has to do is go into his own workshop.
“Customers occasionally bring in vehicles for
repair which are in themselves real classics,
such as a 1960s model that needs a new power
steering system,” reports Klaus Weiher, who
has been working in the Endres workshop
since 1992. The oldest customer vehicle that
Klaus Weiher can recall was a 404 S – a
40-year-old military Unimog. Endres was able
to repair it by finding a replacement gearbox in
one of the spare parts depots.
Over the 60 years of its partnership with
Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Endres has sold an
average of 50 Unimogs a year. In the last
20 years since German reunification some
40 percent of orders have come from public
utilities and 60 percent from the agricultural
and forestry sector and trade and industrial
customers. That experience has made Endres
a real expert in Unimog sales and service. r
Unimog_0111_16-19_EN_16-19 22.06.11 18:26 Seite 19
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PARTNERS 19
1971
Brother and sister
Angelika Meyer-Grant
and Hans-Rüdiger Endres
join the family business
1987
First extended contract
with Daimler AG for
transporter service
in Berlin
1988
UGV Endres recognised
by Daimler AG for
outstanding service
1992
Expansion of partnership with Daimler AG
for passenger cars, vans, trucks; establishment
of two new independent companies in Oranienburg
and Ludwigsfelde
2010
65th anniversary of
Hans-Henning Endres
GmbH & Co. KG in Berlin
r Endres Group
The Endres Group comprises three companies. The first of them was Hans-Henning Endres GmbH & Co. KG,
established in 1945 as a Unimog general agent and authorised Mercedes-Benz Transporter Service. In 1992
Endres GmbH & Co. KG in Oranienburg was established as an authorised Mercedes-Benz sales and service
centre for cars, vans, trucks and the smart, and as a Unimog service partner. It operates branches in
Hennigsdorf and Zehdenick. Also founded in 1992 was Endres Kraftfahrzeuge GmbH & Co. KG in Ludwigsfelde, an authorised Mercedes-Benz service partner for cars, vans, trucks, the smart and the
Unimog. Today the Endres Group employs some 200 people in Mercedes-Benz sales and service operations
in Berlin, Hennigsdorf, Ludwigsfelde, Oranienburg and Zehdenick.
Advertisement
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Clearing, de-icing and cleaning of circulation areas; we offer innovative and
tailor-made system solutions for every purpose of application.
Schmidt –your partner when it comes to safety on our roads!
Schmidt Winterdienst- und Kommunaltechnik GmbH
Albtalstraße 36, 79837 St. Blasien
Phone: + 49 7672 412 0, Fax: + 49 7672 412 230
[email protected], www.aebi-schmidt.com
Unimog_0111_20-23_EN_20-23 22.06.11 18:29 Seite 20
20 PARTNERS
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
United by tradition
The very names Mulag (originating from the German for motorised universal load-carrying machine)
and Unimog (the “universal motor machine”) indicate their affinity in terms of engineering and
heritage. Indeed, the two companies share a history stretching back almost 40 years.
Text: Gerhard Grünig
POST-WAR GERMANY WAS RE-EMERGING – and a group of inventive engineers got together to try and come up with the ultimate
machine to help agriculture. It needed to be an implement carrier,
a transporter, and a universal workhorse. What eventually emerged
from those consultations was the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the
“universal motor machine”. Two valleys away, and a few years later,
Heinz Wössner – a similarly inventive entrepreneur from the northern Black Forest area – was thinking about how to crank up agricultural production based on innovative technical ideas. The ultimate
outcomes were three- and four-wheeled working vehicles which were
simple in design but highly reliable.
There is still an anecdote doing the rounds today portraying how
Heinz Wössner and a group of salesmen met up with Unimog
managers for an informal get-together on the evening of an industri-
al fair. The Unimog people already had a name for their all-rounder,
while the Wössner three-wheeler was still simply branded “M-3”.
“You need to give your vehicle a more distinctive name,” the Unimog
people urged. And their joint brainstorming session came up with
“Mulag”, an acronym originating from the German for “motorised
universal load-carrying machine”. It was not until 1964 that Mulag
became the actual company name. It is a brand which now represents
a byword for high-quality road maintenance and airport apron utility
vehicles. Back in those early days Mulag agricultural products were
struggling to find a wider market, so company founder Heinz Wössner soon began looking around for alternatives. The new arm of the
business he established included heavy-duty vehicles, drinking water
tankers and construction vehicles. Although the Unimog was not yet
in use as an implement carrier for Mulag products at the time, trucks
Unimog_0111_20-23_EN_20-23 22.06.11 18:29 Seite 21
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PARTNERS 21
r Mulag company history
1953 Huber & Wössner GbR founded as machinery workshop and
manufacturer and distributor of agricultural vehicles
1957 First three-wheeled Mulag (“motorised universal load-carrying
machine”) M-3
1962 First drain cleaning vehicles based on the Mercedes-Benz L 323 truck
and Mercedes-Benz L 319 van
1964 Company renamed Mulag Fahrzeugwerk Heinz Wössner KG
1966 Airport drinking water tankers with Hanomag power car
1972 First type SB 400-Z suction mower based on the Unimog U 900
Construction of panorama cabs for the Unimog U 406
1974 First rear-mounted mower type TM 600 for the Unimog
1977 Ditch and verge clearing machine based on the Mercedes-Benz 2626
1978 Combination TM 600 with heavy-duty bush hacker rotor
based on the MB-trac
1981 Upgrade of the rear-mounted boom TM 600 to become the ME 700
1984 First front-mounted boom mower FME 400 for the Unimog
1992 First front-mounted suction mower for airports for the Unimog U 1700
2000 First front and rear mower combination (Trio mower) for the Unimog U 500
2002 Start of production of the MRM 300 verge mower for the Unimog
2008 Development of the road marker trimmer MLM 200
2010 New front combination mower MKV 800 with variable transport position
and two telescopic booms
Right:
The first three-wheeled vehicle
was the Mulag “M-3” (1957).
Below:
Mulag solutions were
also deployed around Paris
right from the early years
(1972 to 1984).
and vans bearing the three-pointed star on their radiator grilles were
serving as base units for drain cleaning vehicles and a variety of
airport utility vehicles.
Dual approach – the key to success
As Germany’s post-war economic miracle took shape, Wössner kept
up his constant search for new ideas, and eventually two principal
fields of business emerged: a broad range of airport utility vehicles on
the one hand, and on the other trench diggers for road maintenance,
which also resulted in the production of boom-mounted grass-mowers.
Those two product lines still dominate Mulag’s business today. “Our
dual approach has delivered sustained commercial success,” asserts
marketing manager Oliver Kesy. “Choosing the Unimog, with its
defined implement interfaces and its absolute reliability, as a base for ü
Unimog_0111_20-23_EN_20-23 22.06.11 18:29 Seite 22
22 PARTNERS
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
r Interview with Oliver S. R. Kesy, marketing manager of Mulag
Unimog Magazine: For mounting on
which Unimog series does Mulag make
implements?
Oliver S. R. Kesy: Still for some models
of the SBU series, but mainly now for the
U 300/U 400/U 500 Unimog implement
carriers. Which exact model is used
depends on the specific case and the
required performance. Light variants for
the Unimog U 20 are also available. To
meet high demands involving large numbers of boom-mounted implements or
heavy loads, such as for tunnel washing
with a high-capacity water tank, we need
the maximum chassis load-bearing
capacity of a Unimog U 500.
Unimog Magazine: How effective is the
cooperation between Mulag and Unimog?
Kesy: Very – and it has been for almost
40 years! We do not deal directly with
end-user customers – that is handled
through the Unimog dealers, and we
provide specialist advice where necessary. The close collaboration between
Daimler, the customers and ourselves
also regularly throws up new technical
developments such as the MLM 200 road
marker trimmer.
Unimog Magazine: How
likely is it that customers’
exact wishes can be met?
Kesy: Given the needsbased solutions we deliver: very likely. What we
do is of course also based
on considerations of costeffectiveness and actual
market demand. As one
practical example, we provided a custom solution
for the Southern Bavaria
motorways agency when it needed a special mower head to cut and suction off
growth above the crash barriers on the
central reservation of the motorway.
This resulted in the hedge cutter head
HSK 1200, which is still very successful
today.
Unimog Magazine: Do you also sell “offthe-peg” factory solutions?
Kesy: There are of course classic products
such as the combination verge mower
and rear-mounted boom. But since the
business is highly specialised, and
each customer has different ideas and
problems, we do not offer off-the-peg
solutions, but prefer to
concentrate on tailoring
modular systems to meet
specific requirements.
Unimog Magazine: Why
is the Unimog by far the
most successful implement carrier in the world?
Kesy: The Unimog provides a highly reliable carrier vehicle, with clearly
defined machine interfaces, which over the years, based on
long-standing partnerships with implement manufacturers, has in effect grown
into a universal specialist. Continuous
communication between the vehicle
manufacturer and its Qualified Partners
means the Unimog is easy to mount
implements on and the overall package
it offers is outstanding – exactly what
you need, and working perfectly!
I should also of course mention the
technical benefits which the Unimog
offers, such as power take-off shafts,
hydrostatic drive, power hydraulics,
variable power steering, and mower
doors.
Unimog_0111_20-23_EN_20-23 22.06.11 18:29 Seite 23
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PARTNERS 23
our road maintenance equipment proved to be
very much the right decision for the future.”
1972: The first patented suction mower
In 1972 – almost 40 years ago now – the
U 900 was chosen as the base for the first
patented suction mower from Mulag. The
mower’s hydraulically adjustable boom
enabled it to be adapted to any terrain. An
integrated suction device conveyed the cuttings into a trailer hitched to the Unimog.
The professional mower unit also featured
a front-mounted verge mower from the
Schmidt company based in St. Blasien.
The original mower soon developed into a
broad range of suction and non-suction based
road maintenance machines. The Mulag
product range currently comprises more
than 18 different models, including verge
mowers and road marker trimmers, front and
Advertisement
rear mounted boom units, combination
mowers and large-area mowers, as well as
over 30 different machines for all-year-round
operations.In the 1990s the ground-breaking
“Mähtronic” electronic mower delivered a
major boost to user-friendliness. Its fully
automatic blade contact pressure regulator
controls the boom, helping to even out terrain contours. As a result, the mower head is
kept constantly at the optimum cutting
height. Today that innovation has developed
into a state-of-the-art multi-function control
unit which Mulag has continually optimised
over the years in cooperation with its customers. The system controls up to four proportional functions on one plane, with an
ergonomically designed operator control
unit. “Mulag has the most comprehensive
range of boom mountings for the Unimog
implement carrier on the market,” declares
Oliver Kesy, not without a degree of pride. He
goes on: “A particular innovation in recent
years has been the MLM 200 road marker
trimmer, which can be used highly efficiently
in conjunction with a conventional verge
mower and a rear-mounted boom.” The most
impressive mower unit is without doubt the
Trio mower – a combination of verge mower
and a front and rear boom with a reach of up to
8.7 metres, which is capable of working the
entire roadside safety zone in one pass. This is
a highly efficient and economical unit.
Tried and proven partnership
Oliver Kesy sums it all up neatly: “The partnership between Unimog and Mulag established
back in 1972 has proved highly beneficial
for both parties to date, and has delivered a
large number of ground-breaking product
developments.”
r
Unimog_0111_24-27_EN_24-27 22.06.11 18:32 Seite 24
24 FIRE-FIGHTING
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
“En garde” on the Côte d’Azur
The Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion has been using the Unimog for many decades.
A visit to the pulsating Mediterranean city.
Text: Ralf Maile
Unimog_0111_24-27_EN_24-27 22.06.11 18:32 Seite 25
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • FIRE-FIGHTING 25
This U 1150L (series 417) is deployed on emergency rescue missions on rough terrain (left). A U 1650 (series 427) is used as a recovery and workshop vehicle (centre).
Several U 1450L (series 427) units have been configured as hose trucks. They offer a reliable means of getting water to fires over long distances (right).
WITH A POPULATION OF AROUND 840,000 PEOPLE, France’s
second-largest city located on the Golfe du Lion is not only the country’s longest-established centre of population, but is also its most
important port. Founded in 600 BC, France’s “gateway to the Mediterranean” is currently enjoying something of a tourist boom. In 2013
Marseilles will be the European Capital of
Culture, and so is likely to see an even greater
leap in visitor numbers to Notre-Dame de la
Garde, Canebière and the Quartier du Panier,
to more than 400,000 people a year.
Covering an area of 241 square kilometres,
the topography of the capital city of France’s
Departement 13 (Bouches-du-Rhône) in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region extends from
sea level up to an altitude of 646 metres. The
rugged mountainous terrain it includes poses
an immense challenge to the city’s Fire
Service. As tourist numbers increase, so too
does the risk of forest fires – an environmental disaster for which Marseilles has become
all too well-known. The mountainous terrain
makes it difficult to access the often remote
locations where emergency services are needed.
Mastering such challenges is a job for the Unimog. The Marseilles
Fire Service has been enjoying its benefits for decades. It currently
operates 52 vehicles of the U 417, U 408, U 427 and U 437 series, configured with a variety of bodies and mounted implements. New
Unimog-based vehicles are regularly being brought into service. Even
the Unimogs which have been retired from service in Marseilles are
much sought-after, and are often kept in use by fire services in other
departements for years more.
A burning need for an effective fire service
The Fire Service of the city of Marseilles is in fact officially a unit of
the French Navy, known as the Marine Fire Battalion, and it has had
a lively and varied history. On October 23rd, 1938 a devastating major
fire occurred which took the lives of 75 people and destroyed many
famous buildings. The city’s municipal Fire Service was at the time
inadequately equipped, and as a result was not able to effectively contain the fire. It was only when the well-equipped, highly trained firefighting unit from the naval base at Toulon was brought in that the
fire was brought under control. Faced with
catastrophic damage to the city, and in view
of the inadequacy of fire-fighting capability
which had been so clearly exposed, the Mayor
of Marseilles demanded that a dedicated
professional fire service be set up. On
July 24th, 1939 Marseilles’s first professional
municipal fire service was established,
under the command of the French military
authorities, as it remains to this day.
One of the most challenging events which
the recently established fire brigade had to
face, demanding every ounce of the crews’
skill and commitment, was in August
1944, when an Allied air raid destroyed much
of Marseilles and killed over 25,000 of its
inhabitants.
Fighting fire and floods
Today the Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion employs a staff of 2,400,
of whom 1,800 are front-line fire-fighters. They handled 112,000 callouts in 2010 alone. The Marine Fire Battalion’s budget for the year
was around 100 million Euro, of which more than 80 percent went on
wages and salaries. Based on the area’s climate and the mountainous
topography, forest fires – mostly occurring in Summer – are by far
the biggest hazards Marseilles faces. In fact, just six percent of the
fire service’s call-outs are related to fighting fires. The remaining 94 percent involve emergency rescue missions, technical assistance, and
dealing with natural disasters. A total of 16 fire stations are posted
around the city area in order to provide rapid response when needed.
There is also a station on the off-shore island of Frioul. Part of
ü
Unimog_0111_24-27_EN_24-27 22.06.11 18:32 Seite 26
26 FIRE-FIGHTING
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
With 31 vehicles, the high off-road capability U 5000 series currently provides the backbone of the Unimog forest fire-fighting fleet (left/centre). Key benefits of the
five U 2450L (series 437.1) 6x6 vehicles are the large amounts of extinguishing fluids they can carry: 7,000 litres of water and 1,200 litres of wetting agent (right).
the Marine Fire Battalion’s role is to continuously monitor the over
30 kilometre long strip of coast belonging to the municipality of
Marseilles. It is also responsible for the city’s industrial port and
airport. Up until 1994 the Marine Fire Battalion was assigned
fire-fighting responsibility throughout the Departement Bouchesdu-Rhône, but nowadays additional local fire services have taken on
those duties. However, when major forest fires break out Marseilles
also routinely places its technical facilities and resources at the
disposal of the five neighbouring departements.
The Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion operates a fleet of over 600 vehicles. Alongside the 52 Unimogs, it includes 60 Sprinter vans, deployed
primarily as emergency rescue vehicles, as well as large numbers of
trucks of the Mercedes-Benz Econic, Atego, Actros and Axor series.
A number of vehicles of the earlier heavy-duty class are also still
giving untiring service to preserve the safety of Marseilles. Other
resources include several fire boats and two helicopters. The service
has acquired 31 U 5000 units in recent years; they form the backbone
of the Unimog fleet. They are supplemented by a number of U 1150,
r Interview: Jean-Louis Farcy, Frigate Captain and long-serving head of the Engineering and
Procurement department
Unimog Magazine: Monsieur Farcy, as
a Frigate Captain you are on active military service. What makes the Unimog
especially well suited to the needs of the
Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion?
Jean-Louis Farcy: We have been using
the Unimog very successfully for a number
of decades now. What we mostly appreciate about the new – and older – vehicles
in our fleet is their extraordinarily high
off-road capability, their solid road-holding, their low centre of gravity and their
high ground clearance based on the use of
portal axles. The Unimog’s ratio of payload to gross vehicle weight rating is also
much better than than of a truck.
Unimog Magazine: How many years does
a vehicle remain in service with you on
average?
Farcy: On average they do over 20 years.
They run for around 50,000 kilometres,
often in extremely tough conditions. That
long service life, and the low operating
costs, make it worthwhile for us to invest in
Unimogs.
Unimog Magazine:
Where are the Unimogs
mainly deployed?
Farcy: In addition to general fire-fighting, it is of
course forest fires which
pose the greatest challenges to the fire crews
and their vehicles. Some
of our Unimogs are fitted
out as emergency rescue
vehicles or hose trucks,
and one is even configured as a recovery
vehicle.
We also have two
Unimogs with dual road/rail capability for
deployment in the eight kilometre long
tunnel for the TGV high-speed railway
link which passes through our territory.
We are only able to
access settlements away
from surfaced roads, in
particular, thanks to the
Unimog.
And in the city centre the enormous traffic
congestion is a problem
which only a compact,
fast vehicle such as the
Unimog can help ease.
Unimog Magazine:
What do the crews think
about the Unimog?
Farcy: For our fire crews
it is a real honour to go
out on missions with the
Unimog. One of the most
valued of the vehicle’s
attributes is its reliability. My crews trust
in the protection which only the Unimog
can provide when they are going about
their highly dangerous work.
Unimog_0111_24-27_EN_24-27 22.06.11 18:32 Seite 27
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • FIRE-FIGHTING 27
For operations in the eight kilometre long TGV tunnel these two dual capability road/rail vehicles based on the Unimog U 2150L (series 437.1) were acquired.
On the left the technical assistance and crew transport vehicle; the vehicle on the right incorporates a safety cage for emergency rescue missions.
U 1450, U 1650, U 2150 and U 2450 6x6 vehicles. A typical forest firefighting convoy consists of two U 5000s, a U 1650 and a U 2450 6x6.
The crew is made up of a team of 12, plus a command vehicle carrying the mission commander.
Tactics matched to the Unimog’s technical capabilities
The sometimes blazing flames spread at speeds of up to seven kilometres an hour. For tactical reasons, the crew always attempts to fight
the inferno from as close a position as possible. This demands great
mobility and large volumes of water, to avoid being encircled by the
wall of flames. The monitor on the roof is a major advantage, enabling
direct fire-fighting controlled from the vehicle’s cab. The Unimogs operated by the Marseilles Marine Fire Battalion are fitted with special heat
shields for the engine compartment and covering all the brake
hydraulics and compressed air lines as well as the on-board electrical
systems. The safety of the crew is preserved by breathing apparatus in
the vehicle interior as well as by a sprinkler system covering the cab,
windscreen and tyres to prevent them being damaged by fire.
r
Advertisement
A Historical
Highlight ...
imog S
y
em
-Partne
ter n ationa
n
lU
st
in the field of carrier vehicle
technology – this is true for
the Unimog since exactly
60 years now.
In
Nearly 40 years of innovative equipment for Unimog
MULAG Fahrzeugwerk Heinz Wössner GmbH u. Co. KG
Gewerbestraße 8 77728 Oppenau Germany
Phone +49-7804-913-0 Fax +49-7804-913-163
E-Mail [email protected] Web www.mulag.com
Innovation and quality –
we are committed to
our reputation.
r
Being an innovative
equipment manufacturer
MULAG is proud to be part
of that success story for nearly
four decades, always playing an important role for
Unimog with new inventions in the domain of
roadside maintenance equipment.
Unimog_0111_28-29_EN_28-29 22.06.11 18:33 Seite 28
28 PEOPLE
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Multi-generational arguments
Who would be better placed to sing the praises of the Unimog’s practicality and other outstanding
benefits than customers who in some cases have been using the all-rounder since its very beginnings?
Text: Martin Heying
“Extreme terrain”
THE FARM of Reinhard Wühr lies between a forest and a mountain
meadow. It was here that Heinrich Wühr established a small
contracting business using a Böhringer 2010 back in 1952. The main
role of the little all-rounder back in those days was transporting milk.
The family business – and the jobs it handled – grew steadily; the
Unimog was an essential aid to working on steep slopes and in dense
forest. The business is now run by Reinhard Wühr, and his son
Michael is also already working in it. “He was driving a Unimog by
the time he was 10,” recalls his mother Regina. The Wührs have
always relied on the Unimog – whether for agricultural or forestry
applications, or on municipal works duty. Still today, Wühr employs
different generations in his Unimog fleet. While the mighty U 500
handles the traditional municipal works jobs, a U 406 operates in the
forest, a U 1200 is deployed on Winter clearing work and for towing,
and a supercharged U 1600 is used to pull a bailer.
All the Wührs of course also collect Unimogs– including a U 401.
Sadly, the old Böhringer was lost in a barn fire along with three other
Unimogs in 2001. It was a major blow to Reinhard Wühr, though he
has never wavered in his loyalty to the Unimog.
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Reinhard Wühr swears by the Unimog:
“Without the Unimog you couldn’t do
anything on this terrain.”
Gerd Reinold sees the Unimog as an
“essential tool” for municipal works.
“Essential”
REINOLD GMBH has been well-known for its reliable agricultural
operations and municipal works in the town of Soest and surrounding areas for the last 100 years. The family business was founded
in 1911 by Franz Reinold, as a purely agricultural services provider.
After 1945 his son Eberhard took over; today the business is run by
Gerd Reinold. His daughter Christina is likewise already on-board.
It all began with a used threshing machine. It was not until the
1950s that the business acquired its first Unimog: a U 411. Later there
were also three U 421 units, deployed in traditional agricultural
operations with pesticide sprayers, potato harvesters and the like.
Then, some 30 years ago, the traditional municipal works jobs were
in demand: mowing, road maintenance as well as hedging and siding. It was at that time also that Reinold GmbH first began deploying
Unimog right-hand drive vehicles, in the form of the U 1200 and the
U 1400: “Our Unimogs are essential tools as specialist municipal
works vehicles,” proprietor Gerd Reinold asserts. “They are fast and
versatile, and the hydrostatic drive system is ideal.” That is why
Reinold’s modern fleet of self-driving machinery including a verge
cutter and a beet harvester also of course incorporates Unimogs:
a U 421, a U 1400 and three U 400s.
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PEOPLE 29
“Bitten by the Unimog bug”
BERCHTESGADEN IS LOCATED in a high-alpine region. It is an area
which poses major challenges to municipal works utilities. So it is
quite understandable that the Unimog should have formed part
of Berchtesgaden’s municipal works vehicle fleet from its very
beginnings. Georg Kurz is responsible for procuring the vehicles. He
is quite clear: “No other vehicle meets our needs like the Unimog.”
Narrow tracks and extreme slopes with inclines of up to 38 percent
make routine jobs such as Winter snow clearing a real adventure.
And Winter lasts a long time down on the Austrian border. That is
illustrated by the fact that Unimogs were still doing their Winter duty
even at the end of April: three U 90 Turbo units, two U 421s, a U 418,
three U 1200s and – as the latest prize acquisition – a U 300. The
Kurz family has also long relied on the Unimog to help out with their
forestry business back home. Even years ago, Georg’s father – also
called Georg – would manoeuvre his way around the steep mountain
meadows on a self-built flat-bed truck powered by a Daimler engine.
The first Unimog the business acquired then proved a great relief.
The Kurz family now has 13 Unimogs – from the U 2010 through to
U 421. All of them are in active use. “Given the extreme sloping
terrain of our location, we have virtually no other way to farm our
land,” Kurz asserts. He adds with a smile: “And anyway, our whole
family has been bitten by the Unimog bug.”
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Georg Kurz and his family own 13 Unimogs.
The latest prize acquisition for the municipality
of Berchtesgaden: a Unimog U 300.
“There’s no alternative” – that is the judgement of
Konrad Antretter when asked about using the Unimog
on the rough building site terrain on which he operates.
“We can get anywhere”
ANYONE LOOKING FOR KONRAD ANTRETTER on a work day
would most likely find him with his digger and his U 400 in a stream
or river bed somewhere near the village of Bad Feilnbach in Upper
Bavaria. “There is no alternative to the Unimog when it comes to
working on the kind of rough terrain where I work,” he asserts.
Engineering river and stream embankments is among Antretter’s
core competencies. It involves not only operating on rough terrain,
but also working across enormous height differences. Inclines of
25 percent are quite normal, depending on the specific location. “We
can get where a normal truck would have no chance,” Antretter
explains. Last year the U 400 transported 3,000 tonnes of stone to
shore up a stream at an altitude of up to 1,200 metres.
So it is no wonder that Konrad Antretter has relied on the Unimog
for his small contracting business from its very beginnings. “This is
my third Unimog. Before it I had a U 1400. That was very good too,”
he affirms. In fact, the family have owned Unimogs right from the
start to handle the terrain on their mountainside farm. Still today,
his father Sebastian runs a Unimog U 411, while his brother – also
Sebastian – runs a Unimog U 1400. Of course, Konrad Antretter also
deploys his Unimog on Winter snow clearing and freight carrying
jobs as well as for his waterways engineering projects.
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30 PEOPLE
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
A bug with long-term effects
A very special gathering is taking place at the Unimog Museum: Six former employees of what used
to be the Unimog Division in Gaggenau who were instrumental in getting the Unimog up and running.
All of them have impressive stories to tell. And they have all been bitten by the Unimog bug.
Text: Karin Weidenbacher
THE UNIMOG BUG is very widespread. It has afflicted Manfred Florus,
Roland Feix, Martin Tegtmaier, Norbert Rieger, Heinz Schnepf and Bruno
Hartwig particularly severely. The group who for so long were among
the key players in the Unimog story recall former times ...
Qualified agricultural engineer Manfred Florus, 87, heeded the call of
the Unimog drawing him to Göppingen in 1949. Together with Hans Zabel,
Florus built up the first Unimog dealership network in Germany and
from 1966 to 1989 was head of Unimog’s worldwide export sales. “We had
already acquired 28 Unimog dealers from Boehringer. It was starting
from that base that we built up the international dealership
network,” he laughs. “It was a typical mixed organisation. Mr. Bleses, for
example, was a dealer and also the proprietor of a fruit-growing
business.”
Roland Feix, 83, was the sales delegate for South America, and
likewise still has clear memories: “In 1952 I was assigned to introduce
the Unimog in Argentina and pave the way for its launch as an agricultural vehicle. But soon there were so many other leads approaching me
keen to start using the Unimog that my planned two-month stay turned
into an unforgettable two years.”
“The MB-trac was initially going to be called Uni-trac,” recounts Martin
Tegtmaier, 85, with a little raising of the eyebrows. He began working as
a developer in 1956, and played a key role in the creation of the U 406
and U 416 series. He is considered to be the father of the MB-trac design.
“In the early 1960s there was a plan to build a stronger, more powerful
Unimog – right in the midst of the slowdown in agriculture. A few years
later, working with a team of good people, I was able to present the
U 406 – a completely new vehicle with a 6-cylinder engine and a stronger
chassis. In the MB-trac, I adopted all the benefits of the Unimog and
tailored them to agricultural needs.”
Martin Tegtmaier: “At the beginning no one gave the MB-trac a chance, or thought
Heinz Schnepf: “In 1990 I participated in the Paris–Beijing rally on-board a
it would be a success. Only the farmers had recognised how well attuned to their
Unimog. I subsequently sold the vehicle to a TV guy who was also a rally
needs it was, and indeed had placed 300 orders for it at the previous year’s DLG
fan from Japan. He came to me to have it serviced and repaired for years
show. We refuted all the prophecies of doom: After nine months we already had
after. He always used to smile and say to me: ‘When you do it, it runs fine,
the 1,000th MB-trac rolling off the production line.”
and I’m happy!’”
Sheet-metal pattern-cutting in the test workshop
Norbert Rieger, 75, still proudly refers to himself as a “metal-basher”. He
recalls with a grin: “I was desperate to work on the Unimog at the time,
and I started in 1953 as a young skilled tradesman. The pattern-cutting
shop had to produce the cabs for the U 411 quickly. I had barely started
when one of my colleagues went off sick. I was rapidly reassigned, and was
given a great training as a precision sheet-metalworker. Later the head of
testing, Mr. Dietrich, allowed me to build my masterpiece in the test workshop. That was how the first prototype cab for the U 406 was produced
– hand-driven, and with no puller tool. On passing my test, I was promoted to group leader in the prototyping and body shop for the Unimog.”
Heinz Schnepf, 75, worked in the Unimog testing department from
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • PEOPLE 31
Roland Feix: “I had some unforgettable experiences in South America. I was presented
Norbert Rieger: “A farmer once said to me on a test drive that this was just how
with a replica of General San Martin’s sabre as a thank-you because we had sent our
he wanted to work: an enclosed cab, no dust or spray from whatever the rig was
two Unimog U 2010s out immediately to assist the Argentine military in Mendoza to
spreading, great suspension – and even music. That was what we offered him and
search for a ski party lost in the Andes.”
all the other Unimog customers in a wide variety of different sectors.”
1958 to 1992: “From 1984 on, I worked with the Capito team on the
Paris–Dakar rallies. I always wanted to ride along in a Unimog service
vehicle. The U 2450L built for the purpose was all ready, but then at
the last minute it didn’t happen after all. I eventually managed to
realise that dream together with Karl-Friedrich Capito, and took part
in the 1990 Paris–Beijing rally.”“The work in production was hard, but
we grew a little with every challenge we mastered,” comments Bruno
Hartwig, 72. He had been fascinated by the Unimog right from his
youth, and in 1953 he began an apprenticeship in Gaggenau. “When a
large order came in, daily production needed to be upped from 30 to
60 vehicles,” he recalls. “That meant a two-shift operation had to be
introduced on the Unimog assembly line, and it began on the Tuesday
of the Whit holiday in 1982. Staff were redeployed from other
Daimler-Benz plants to Gaggenau, some of them with little motivation
for their new jobs. Our first task was to arouse their enthusiasm for
the Unimog – and that’s what we did.” Continual changes in quantities and only one line to assemble different models. Each new Unimog
model resulted in modifications to the assembly facilities. There was
a rail track running right through the middle of the factory site, which
meant everyone had to wait when the barrier was down. Hartwig
recalls with a grin: “The problem was only solved when an underpass
was built. When a Unimog got stuck in it soon afterwards, a crowd of
staff on their way to lunch had a right old laugh.”
Manfred Florus: “The Unimog saved the 1964 Winter Olympics. There was no snow,
Bruno Hartwig: “This lovely scale model of a Unimog fire truck was presented to me
and events were threatened with cancellation. A fleet of 54 Unimogs fitted with tipper
by my colleagues as a parting gift when I took early retirement. It will always have a
beds was sent to collect snow from the Gschnitztal and spread it on the Patscherkofel
place of honour in my home, because 40 years of Unimog have provided me with
piste. As a result, the Olympic Committee recommended that the Unimog be used for
many indelible memories.”
snow clearing by all future Winter Olympics hosts.”
Indelible memories
“Everything was done “hand-in-hand”, in small teams. There was no
in-fighting about who was supposed to be doing what. Everyone
worked concertedly on the task at hand,” Schnepf sums up. They
all agree: “Our job was always varied. Every day we experienced
something new, with a wide variety of customers from the most
remote corners of the world – that’s why we still feel such a close
affinity with the Unimog today.”
In fact, that was something which hardly needed to be said. It was
clearly something felt by the whole group. Some of them not only
brought along their stories to the nostalgic gathering, but also some
very personal items of memorabilia (see pictures) ...
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32 PEOPLE
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Affairs of the heart
The Unimog represents a unique combination of the rational and the emotional. Unimog Magazine
talked to the head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, Yarış Pürsün, development manager Walter Eisele
and sales manager Michael Dietz about the past and the future.
Text: Gerhard Grünig
Unimog Magazine: 60 years of Mercedes-Benz
Unimog – what is the secret of its success?
Yarış Pürsün: There are clear reasons why it
has enjoyed an unbroken 60-year history: its
robustness, its off-road capability, and specialist engineering that users know they can
rely on. The Unimog has also succeeded in
establishing an emotional bond with its customers – they really like it.
Walter Eisele: Technically speaking, the secret
of the Unimog’s success lies in its unmatched
off-road capability based on portal axles,
helical springs and articulation. In its role as
an implement carrier, its key attributes are
variability and flexibility. There is no more
versatile product capable of being deployed
all-year round.
Unimog Magazine: Why does the Unimog
have hardly any competition?
Michael Dietz: Of course there have been, and
still are, some who copy it. But we never stand
still; we are continually discovering new applications, and enhancing the vehicle’s flexibility
and variability. As part of the Daimler group,
we have access to state-of-the-art technologies
and are able to offer even small-volume variants cost-effectively – something which poses
an enormous obstacle to our competitors.
Unimog Magazine: Will the Unimog be
conquering new markets and segments?
Dietz: Unimog is currently operating in some
160 countries! Thanks to its capabilities, we
believe it has strong opportunities for growth.
Some potential areas for that growth include
exploration and mining, as well as preventive
needed. It is used in fighting forest fires, in the
energy industry, by the military, and in exploring for oil. I think Dr. Dieter Zetsche characterised the Unimog most accurately when he
said: “It is the John Wayne of commercial
vehicles. It doesn’t need a road, it just needs a
mission!”
measures countering the effects of climate
change. We are being helped in that respect by
the U 20, because – as in the case of fire-fighting and all related applications – it is opening
up an additional vehicle segment. Furthermore, the Unimog is also returning to its
origins in agriculture. Changes to logistics
chains mean that it has a key role to play as an
implement carrier and tractor rig both in the
field and on the road.
Unimog Magazine: What are the characteristics of the various model series?
Eisele: We have been making the U 300 to
U 500 models since the year 2000. We have
just mounted the 10,000th implement carrier
on its chassis! It is the professional implement
carrier for year-round use, ideal for municipal
works and for the energy industry. Since 2008
the U 20, at 7.5 to 9.3 tonnes, has rounded off
the light-duty end of the range. It is a compact
entry-level model for smaller local authorities
and for use in town and city centres. With its
2.7 metre wheelbase and 12.6 metre turning
circle, it can operate wherever space is tight.
Finally, the Unimog U 4000/U 5000 is ideal
where a high degree of off-road capability is
Unimog Magazine: Are you planning to
expand the Unimog portfolio in future?
Eisele: The three model series cover all the
various applications – though that does not
mean we would not possibly increase the number of variants within a particular series.
Unimog Magazine: What are you planning in
terms of product development for the existing
model series?
Eisele: The core areas where we can see improvements being made are in relation to gearshift strategy, comfort and philosophy. In terms
of electronics, we are strongly positioned thanks
to synergies with the truck product lines. Just
as a little titbit, and something which our
customers are asking for: our current sizing
concepts will be retained as they are!
Pürsün: We will utilise the move to Euro 6 to
consider some ideas. There are new laws imposing key changes in relation to emissions and
safety. With regard to the technical systems onboard the Unimog, we will be adopting the same
approach as our truck colleagues – with
features such as EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and
diesel particulate filters for exhaust gas
cleaning. In the electronics field, there are
opportunities opening up to us including the
Unimog_0111_32-33_EN_39-39 22.06.11 18:38 Seite 33
Development manager Walter Eisele, sales manager Michael Dietz and divisional head Yarış Pürsün (from left to right) talk to Unimog Magazine about the current positioning
of the Unimog and where its future might lead.
integration of driver assistance systems and
satellite navigation – what is available will also
be made available on the Unimog.
Dietz: We are very fuel-efficient compared to
the competition. I would like to add that in
future we will certainly also be setting the
benchmark once again in relation to safety,
operator control, comfort and ergonomics.
Unimog Magazine: You have already
mentioned the Unimog U 20. How is it doing as
an “entry-level” model?
Dietz: The U 20 represented a return to our
roots. The market was demanding a compact,
manoeuvrable vehicle to complement the
others in the range. It has also brought a lot of
customers back to us who had been looking for
other vehicle concepts for those reasons.
Eisele: The U 20 is the embodiment of a functioning modular kit system. The cab comes
95 percent pre-assembled from Brazil, and in
Wörth we turn it into a genuine Unimog.
Unimog Magazine: The high off-road capability model series has been on the market a long
time. Will there soon be a successor?
Eisele: The focus of development work on
that series is not on design, but on conforming
to future legal requirements. From December
31st, 2013 our vehicles will conform to the
Euro 6 emissions standard and we will of
course be taking that opportunity also to consider what changes might be feasible in terms
of its look.
Pürsün: What ultimately counts is coming up
with competitive offerings. The key message
will be that we are continuing to develop the
core attributes of the 1000 series whilst
preserving its legendary off-road capability.
Unimog Magazine: Daimler is a pioneer in
alternative drive systems. What can we expect
from Unimog in that respect?
Pürsün: We are testing the various innovations
all across the truck portfolio – such as hybrid
technology in the Atego for example. As far as
the Unimog is concerned, our focus at present
is on improving its tried and proven technical
features in terms of fuel economy and cutting
emissions. We are of course also looking around
for alternative drive system solutions, though
our thinking is more towards alternative fuels.
Unimog Magazine: One of the major benefits
of the Unimog is its ergonomics and safety
concept. Is there room for improvement in that
respect?
Eisele: Our concept really is ideal. Just to mention a couple of examples: features such as the
VarioPilot switchable steering system or the
mower door - and the fibre composite cab is
rightly regarded as a benchmark. Nevertheless,
we are continuously driving forward our
development efforts. One small example of this
would be the optimisation of the steering
column lever on which we are currently working. Even though the Unimog already offers
outstanding clarity and simplicity of ergo-
nomic design in this regard, there is room for
improvement here too.
Unimog Magazine: Why have you chosen only
a small number of Qualified Partners as body
manufacturers?
Pürsün: It’s to do with specialisation. The
Unimog’s wide-ranging functions frequently demand complex implement mounting. In many
cases there are only two or three sources. We
choose the most suitable, and we are working
together with some 40 partners who fit in with
our philosophy and quality standards.
Unimog Magazine: What do you personally
associate with the Unimog?
Pürsün: I spent a week touring Iceland, and
spent much of the time driving a Unimog myself. It was phenomenal – where all other vehicles got stuck, the Unimog just kept on going.
Eisele: I have been here for 10 years now, and
I am a big fan of the high off-road capability
Unimog. My most intense personal experience
was managing the relocation of Unimog
production from Gaggenau to Wörth. I was
very touched that we succeeded in persuading
99 percent of the Unimog assembly staff to
move with us to Wörth.
Dietz: Whereas Walter Eisele has been with
Unimog for 10 years, in my case it’s been about
– well, 10 weeks! After having worked in various Daimler divisions, I have not before experienced any workforce which has been so “mad
about” its product as the Unimog team.
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34 DESIGN
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011
History meets future
To mark the Unimog’s 60th anniversary, the Mercedes-Benz designers have set themselves
a very special task: to create a Unimog which combines the past and the future.
Text: Tanja Strauß
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • DESIGN 35
The creative challenge put to the Design department for the 60th anniversary of
Team leader Martin Kreidl explains the approach to design work: “Once the rough
the Mercedes-Benz Unimog was a tough one: Classic meets modern.
concept has been outlined, the detailing begins.”
THEY LIVE in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America,
at heights of up to 1,000 metres: poison dart frogs. They grow to only
60 millimetres in length, yet the vibrant colour of their skin ensures
they are very much noticed. They are sometimes red, sometimes bright
blue, sometimes yellow, or grass-green. Because of their striking
appearance they are also called the “jewels of the rainforest”. They also
love to climb trees, and are sometimes also called tree-climber frogs as
a result. It was this little frog which inspired the designers and stylists
at Mercedes-Benz to paint a very special Unimog in bright green. It is
a colour which sparkles yellowish in the sun and, depending on the
angle from which it is viewed, also conveys a hint of blue. It is a refreshing shade for a Unimog which is looking to the future while preserving
its links to the past. It is a colour which underscores the modern,
futuristic design concept and at the same time evokes memories.
is crystallised. The Unimog begins to take shape. “Once the rough concept has been outlined, the detailing begins,” explains Martin Kreidl,
team leader in the commercial vehicles design department. His team
– which is also generally responsible for Unimog design – produces
and refines detailed drafts for steps, wheel rims and seats. 3D animations bring the Unimog to life.
“We attempted to re-interpret the history of the Unimog in a modern
way,” claims interior designer Berkhan Kocgazi. The result that emerged
was a concept vehicle with an open, yet still safe, cab. Details such as
the material mix of aluminium and leather on the steering wheel round
off the simple yet highly functional concept. “Leather is a very tactile
material, and as such it makes it easier for the driver to turn the wheel,”
Kocgazi goes on. The vehicle’s exterior look is also fully in line with the
functional concept. “The Unimog is a work vehicle – from Mercedes-Benz.
That should be discernible at the first glance,” designer Carlos Carrasco
asserts. In response to that demand, the bonnet shape has been adapted more closely to the Mercedes-Benz house style. Natural, flowing
and at the same time geometric forms provide the vehicle with its face,
pointing the way into the future. “Our aim was to let the functions
speak. We achieved that by emphasising the unique product features
Unimog and amphibian: both master climbers
To mark its 60th anniversary, the Mercedes-Benz designers have set
themselves a very special task: to create a Unimog which embodies the
spirit of a classic while at the same time conveying a strong sense of
modernity, the new and the extraordinary. The base unit is a Unimog
U 5000 with high off-road capability. Product manager Jan Debler
elaborates: “We struck upon the poison dart frog not only by virtue of
its unbelievably intense colouring. The Unimog and the amphibian
have more in common than might appear at first glance: Both are highly mobile both in the water and on land, are adept at adapting to their
surroundings, and are master climbers.”
The designers and stylists applied a minimalist concept echoing the
roots of the vehicle. “We travelled back into the past; back to the beginnings of the Unimog. It was simple, but robust. A vehicle that did its
job,” explains Bertrand Janssen, who as Senior Manager Design
Commercial Vehicles with Mercedes-Benz headed the project. The
starting point for the project was a road-ready production vehicle of the
high off-road capability U 5000 model series. The vehicle was first
completely dismantled by a team in Wörth and reduced down to its core
technical product features.
The project begins with innumerable drawings, sketches and draft
designs, new concepts and a whole collection of ideas, until a direction
Barbara Sika, responsible for colours and materials in the Mercedes-Benz Design
department, displays the model for the concept Unimog’s colouring: frogs from
the tropical rainforest.
ü
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36 DESIGN
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011
of the vehicle based on the use of high-grade materials, such as
aluminium. That enhances the Unimog’s off-road capability still further
and makes it more stable”, adds colleague Filipe Gorsten. Visually too,
the over four metre long vehicle is entirely in keeping with its
all-rounder image.
Once the first drafts have been produced, the stylists start playing
around with materials and colours. “We basically get a grey vehicle and
bring it to shining life. To do so, we test and feel a wide variety of
materials, fabrics and colours”, says designer Barbara Sika. While the
Unimog’s exterior is resplendent in fresh green, more subtle shades
predominate in the interior. The seats are covered in brown leather.
Accents such as contrasting seams on the seats and red helical springs
on the wheels provide the finishing touches and underscore the unique
selling points of the vehicle. The result is a Unimog which visually
exudes power and strength, making an extremely masculine impression while also conveying a sense of exclusive simplicity. Restyled
components give the vehicle a modern face, without discarding familiar, tried and proven details. Following its appearances at the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Unimog, it will doubtless be
the centre of attention as a museum piece – although with its powerful
engine and all-wheel drive, it could just as easily be put into service
ploughing its way through tropical rainforests.
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“A very emotional project”
Bertrand Janssen, Senior Manager Design, Commercial Vehicles, of Mercedes-Benz on a very special project and
its extraordinary outcome: the 60th anniversary Unimog Showcar.
Unimog Magazine: What was the biggest
challenge?
Janssen: Time. We began the project in
February. The design had been created
within six weeks. At the same time, work
was started on the chassis at the development workshop in Wörth.
Proceda Modelling then ultimately finished
the Unimog based on our design plans in
record time. We could never have done
it without that teamwork. Each contributor
delivered the optimum level of his or her
expertise; there was an unprecedented spirit
about the project from the very beginning.
That is why it was also a very emotional
project, which all of us really took to heart.
Bertrand Janssen,
Senior Manager Design,
Commercial Vehicles,
of Mercedes-Benz.
Unimog Magazine: You and your team have
designed a truly futuristic Unimog …
Bertrand Janssen: Yes, we have. The project
was really exciting. The opportunity to design
such a concept vehicle comes along very
seldom. It really allows you to explore your
ideas; to bring new styling and material
possibilities into play, with a rare degree of
freedom.
Unimog Magazine: So is it merely a fantasy
that will never be seen on the road?
Janssen: The Unimog will certainly not be
mass-produced exactly in this form. But nor
was our work entirely divorced from the real
world.The vehicle we have created is a purist
design, yet still very much true to the concept
– and there is no reason why some of its detailing might not be incorporated into later model
series. We also integrated design cues highlighting key elements of the Unimog which
have characterised it over the last 60 years and
which will continue to do so in future – such as
its axles, helical springs and wheels.
Unimog Magazine: Is producing a concept
vehicle comparable with your “normal” work?
Janssen: The constraints when working on
a model facelift are of course much tighter;
the design objectives are much more closely
specified. The focus is always on functionality. Other key issues with which we are
frequently confronted include keeping to
budgets and selecting the appropriate
materials. And we normally take much more
time from the initial sketch through to start
of production – up to four years in the case of
a new model.
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UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • DESIGN 37
Just like a real
production model,
the first official
Lego Unimog passed
through various
development stages.
Accurate reproduction for true devotees
The 60th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog – the ideal time to release the first ever official Lego Unimog.
The model replicates all the attributes of the full-size original, even down to its articulation.
Text: Susanne Löw
THE CREATION of the first official Lego Unimog began with an idea.
It was an idea from Martin Ziegler, who works in Truck Group
IT Operations at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth, where he is
responsible for running various applications, from production
systems to the Intranet. It was on a Daimler in-house online ideas
platform that the 30-year-old computer specialist set forth his idea:
r Win the Lego Unimog!
The robust design of the vehicle and the loyalty and enthusiasm of its owners mean
that, even after 60 years, there are still lots of vintage Mercedes-Benz Unimogs to be
found in private garages. We believe these treasures need to be seen and displayed!
So we are asking you to send us a picture of your oldest, most valuable or best-looking Unimog. Please submit your pictures by July 29th, 2011. A selection of the entries
will be published in Unimog Magazine and on the Internet at www.mercedes-benz.de/
unimog. Please only send us photos you took yourself, or ones for which you have obtained the consent of the taker. Your efforts will not go unrewarded: A prize draw will
be held among all the entries, with a Lego Unimog awarded to the winner. Multiple
submissions will not increase chances of winning.
The winner will be notified by e-mail or conventional post, and his or her name and
location will be published in Unimog Magazine. The prize will be posted to the address
specified.
Please submit photos, quoting your name and address, to
[email protected], or to the competition organisers:
Springer Fachmedien München GmbH
Verlag Heinrich Vogel/Corporate Publishing
Unimog Magazin/“Oldtimer”
Aschauer Str. 30, 81549 Munich, Germany.
The judges’ decision is final. Employees of Daimler AG
a Unimog built from Lego blocks. “The Unimog and Lego are both
universal in their applications,” says Martin Ziegler, in explaining
how he got the idea of a Lego Unimog. “You can make all kinds
of things from Lego blocks, and the Unimog too can be used on all
kinds of different jobs: whether in dual road/rail applications, in
fire-fighting, or for municipal works.” Without his suggestion the first
official Lego Unimog would not have come about. Fans had indeed
long been waiting for one, and many had already made attempts to
build one using their own Lego blocks.
Universal Lego Technic
The idea was turned into reality thanks to the close cooperation
between Mercedes-Benz and the Lego Technic team in Denmark. The
first official, universal Lego Unimog will be launched in the Autumn:
a 1:12.5 scale model U 400, made from over 2,050 Lego blocks, with
a steering system, all-wheel drive, sprung axles, portal axles and a
mounting compartment with a power take-off and pneumatic
connection. The pistons of the 4-cylinder engine move when the
wheels of the Lego model are spun. The project is something very
special for Lego too. The Lego Unimog is the biggest, most complex
model in the Lego Technic series to date. Six new blocks had to be
created specially for it, to realise features such as the portal axle and
the articulation. The Lego Unimog is also the first Lego Technic
model to combine electric drive and pneumatics. The electric motor
drives the pneumatic pump, to optionally
slew a crane or operate a winch. And the
crane, winch and load space can be converted into a snow-plough. The Lego model
thus proves just as flexible as the real
Unimog. And after all, that was just what
Martin Ziegler’s idea was all about.
r
and of Springer Fachmedien München GmbH
are not allowed to take part.
Martin Ziegler came up with the idea:
a Lego Unimog!
Unimog_0111_38-39_EN_39-39 22.06.11 18:43 Seite 38
38 MUSEUM
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
A real highlight for visitors:
a ride around the Unimog circuit at
the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau.
Living history
The Unimog Museum is celebrating its fifth anniversary. It was opened on June 3rd, 2006 – exactly 55 years
after the first Unimog had been built in Gaggenau. The Unimog – a piece of living history with a great future.
Text: Jan Westphal
FRITZ HELD IS A LITTLE SAD. He looks
around, his wistful gaze scanning the exhibits
in the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau. “It looked
like that one,” he sighs, pointing out a green
liveried Unimog from the early years. The
pensioner then pulls an old black-and white
photograph from his wallet. It shows a U 401
bearing a number plate from the American
occupation zone of Württemberg. “My father
bought it in 1953 as a 25-horsepower tractor
rig for his freight business. I often rode along
in it as a boy. We got another Unimog in 1960.
The family business was closed down in 1966,
and the vehicles were sold. So now I’m hunting
for our old Unimog, which holds so many
happy memories,” he explains to voluntary
museum worker Gisela Baumgart. But because
he does not know the chassis number, she is
unfortunately not able to help this time.
Gisela Baumgart is one of 120 volunteers.
She comes in to the museum two days a week
to explain the engineering genius behind the
Unimog to its visitors. Many of the helpers are
retired or still-working company employees,
while others are simply enthusiasts or are
interested in preserving their local heritage.
Like Kurt Kaltenbach, who is actually a baker
by trade. Today he is busy demonstrating the
prowess of the silver U 4000 with the double
cab on the Unimog Museum’s off-road circuit.
It’s an opportunity for grown men to become
little boys again; and many women also enjoy
the exciting ride. As it negotiated the
100 percent incline obstacle, it incited a
genuine outpouring of emotion from a group of
African visitors, who burst out cheering at the
sheer fun of it.
Buntai Saikawa has also ridden around the
circuit. He is in fact a Buddhist monk, and also
happens to be the Unimog Club delegate in
Japan. He is extremely proud to have several
Unimogs, with various mounted implements,
in service back home.
The 2010 “Cars and Art” exhibition proved a
great hit for the museum, as so many have in
Advertisement
Unimog_0111_38-39_EN_39-39 22.06.11 18:43 Seite 39
Manager Christina Palma Diaz demonstrates: There’s plenty on offer
for little visitors to the museum too.
the past. Its keynote was the famous pop-artist Andy Warhol
and his pictures featuring cars. A Chinese film team came
to Gaggenau to make its documentary about Warhol rather
than travelling to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Manager Christina Palma Diaz is responsible for the Unimog
Museum’s slick, strikingly appealing marketing: “Our aim
is to present the Unimog as an engineering masterpiece for
the whole family to experience; to provide an insight into
world history, industrial culture and working life; and to
ensure the living museum is firmly embedded in the life of
this great region.” On June 30th Christina Palma Diaz will
be leaving her post to become a director of Mercedes-Benz
Gastro Service GmbH. Géraldine Cart has been appointed
as her successor, and will doubtless prove equally adept in
the role.
The museum is a tourism ambassador for the Murgtal
region. The museum shop sells scale models as well as lots
of fun items, including a Unimog soft-toy to cuddle, “Unimog
grease mustard with black whisky and fine caramel sauce”
and the “Edition U 416” – an exquisite Trollinger rosé wine.
Museum reliant on donations and sponsorship
The “Verein Unimog-Museum e. V.” is the organisation which
owns the museum. Together with the Gaggenau Unimog
Club, it runs the facility in the form of a non-profit-making
limited company. Chairman Stefan Schwaab comments:
“The museum is funded without any public subsidy; only
by donations, sponsorship and revenues. To safeguard the
long-term future of the museum, we have established a
charitable foundation which anyone can join.”
r
Stability and save
work on the edge!
Hiab loader crane with VSL* (variable
stability limit) is thinking forward.
VSL is a safety feature:
Developed to protect crane operators and people in the vicinity
as well as the crane and vehicle
To ensure sufficient stability whilst handling loads
Automatically regulated crane capacity in relation to actual
stability whilst working – instantly
The position of each stabilizer leg is monitored and, if necessary,
capacity is reduced for certain slewing angles
* VSL is a Hiab safety feature developed by Cargotec to comply
with the new machinery directive EN 12999
r Highlight 2011
From April 17th to October 8th, 2011 the Unimog Museum
presents an exhibition titled “Weltenbummler” (Globetrotters),
accompanied by lectures on the technical features and outfitting
of the vehicles, first-hand reports, useful hints and tips, pictures
and films of trips across every continent. More details of planned
events can be found on the Unimog Museum’s website at
www.unimog-museum.de. The museum and exhibition are open
Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
www.hiab.de
Unimog_0111_40-41_EN_40-41 22.06.11 18:46 Seite 40
40 UNIMOG CLUBS
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Fun and friendship
without borders
For 18 years now, Unimog fans have had their
own spiritual home: the Unimog Club in Gaggenau.
But enthusiasm does not stop at borders.
Text: Thomas Maier
“WE COULD NEVER have imagined back then that our nice
little club in Gaggenau would attract such a massive community of fans. But the snowball effect really took hold,”
recalls Carl-Heinz Vogler, editor of the “Unimog Heft’l” magazine and co-founder of the club. It is based in Gaggenau
because that is where, 60 years ago, the Mercedes-Benz
Unimog first began its long success story. Around
380,000 Unimogs have been built since the first one rolled
off the line on June 3rd, 1951.
In 1993 the former personnel director of Mercedes-Benz,
Michael Wessel, established the regional Unimog Club
Gaggenau (UCG). Soon after its founding, the club began
attracting lots of Unimog owners from all over Germany.
Today, with some 6,000 members, it is the largest
Mercedes-Benz brand-related club. One of the key reasons
for its success was that it offered a resource for the rapid
supply of spare parts and for the interchange of information. Because previously many Unimog owners had very
much been left to their own devices. Today there are
27 regional clubs in Germany. The worldwide fan community even encompasses Japan, Russia, the USA and Canada.
Gaggenau is the hub. It is where decisions on upcoming
events and promotional campaigns are taken. Especially
popular features are the large-scale Unimog meets and the
Unimog pub evenings, at which club members can exchange
all their stories and technical hints to their hearts’ delight
in a relaxed, convivial ambience. Also much in-demand are
the “Schraubertreffs” – technical seminars providing instructions and tips for anyone looking to carry out their own
repairs on a Unimog. Since 1994 the UCG has also been
organising the largest Unimog parts market. It provides
Unimog models, related literature, charts and lists complete
with sourcing details and addresses of manufacturers. The
club also publishes a quarterly magazine, the highly
popular “Unimog Heft’l”. All this is provided for an annual
subscription of 35 Euro – with no joining fee.
r
UCG members worldwide
Argentina (2)
Australia (3)
Belize (1)
Brazil (2)
Bulgaria (1)
Canada (7)
Chile (4)
China (4)
Czech
Republic (1)
Denmark (1)
Finland (5)
France (36)
Greece (1)
Ireland (1)
Italy (13)
Japan (1)
Luxembourg (9)
Mexico (1)
Nepal (1)
New Zealand (1)
Norway (3)
Portugal (1)
Russia (1)
Slovenia (1)
South Africa (3)
Spain (4)
Sweden (3)
Turkey (1)
UK (12)
USA (18)
Germany
Year founded
Members
Location
Website
Meets per year
Chairman
1993
5,356 (Germany only)
Gaggenau, Germany
www.unimog-club-gaggenau.de
up to 200
Michael Schnepf
“The Unimog is the best-known of all the
commercial vehicles produced by Daimler AG.
It has achieved cult status.”
Unimog_0111_40-41_EN_40-41 22.06.11 18:46 Seite 41
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • UNIMOG CLUBS 41
Belgium
University Unimog
Year founded
Members
Location
Website
Meets per year
Chairman
2000
20
Zottegem, Belgium
www.unimog-club-gaggenau.de
1
Toon Versnick
“Just unbelievable,
what you can do with this vehicle.”
Netherlands
Year founded
Members
Location
Website
Meets per year
Chairman
2005
370
Rijsbergen, Netherlands
www.unimogclub.nl
approx. 6
Albert Steijaert
“This highly versatile, unique vehicle brings
together people from all over the world –
so new contacts are continually being made.”
Teachers and students alike stare agape when
Professor Buntai Saikawa arrives every day at
Enryakujigakuen Hieizangakuin University in Japan
by Unimog. The lecturer in Buddhist song simply has
a weakness for the vehicle. He owns 17 Unimogs and
a Mercedes-Benz truck. Saikawa is also the Japanese
contact for the Gaggenau Club:
[email protected]
Switzerland/Liechtenstein
Year founded
Members
Location
Website
Meets per year
Chairman
1995
165
Bürglen, Switzerland
www.unimog-club-schweiz.ch
approx. 4
Walter Bommeli
Yes, we celebrate!
“The possibilities the Unimog offers
are truly terrific.”
Austria
Year founded
Members
Location
Contact
Meets per year
Chairman
2003
101
Sistrans, Austria
Florian Schneider
(through Unimog Club Gaggenau)
approx. 4
Florian Schneider
“The Unimog is a fantastic
and unique vehicle.”
The fascination of the Unimog has of course also spread
to the land of boundless opportunities: Fans gather once
a year in Oregon for the “Northwest MogFest” – the largest
Unimog meet in America. Last year it attracted 800 visitors,
and the trend is rising. This year’s event will be held from
August 18th to 21st. To mark the 60th anniversary of the
Unimog, organiser Jim Molley is intending to fly a balloon
bearing the message “Happy Birthday!”.
www.northwestmogfest.com
Unimog_0111_42-43_EN_42-44 22.06.11 18:47 Seite 42
42 UNISCOPE
•
UNIMOG 1 • 2011
Anniversary Conference
“60 years of the Unimog” *
June 4, 2011
Unimog plant, Wörth (D)
Celebration: “5 years of the
Unimog Museum” *
June 5, 2011
Gaggenau (D)
Adventure & All-wheel drive
June 23 to 26, 2011
Bad Kissingen (D)
demopark 2011 *
June 26 to 28, 2011
Eisenach-Kindel (D)
Truck Grand-Prix
July 8 to 10, 2011
Nürburgring (D)
“Mercedes-Benz Fans & Friends”
The biggest MB meet ever
(record attempt) *
August 26 to 28, 2011
Berlin-Tempelhof (D)
Caravan Salon 2011
August 26 to September 4, 2011
Düsseldorf (D)
Unimog Club Annual Meeting
Gaggenau 2011 *
September 9 to 11, 2011
Wilbertoord (NL)
Technorama
September 10 to 11, 2011
Hildesheim (D)
64th IAA International Motor Show
Cars 2011
September 15 to 25, 2011
Frankfurt/Main (D)
“Veterama” classic, vintage and
veteran vehicle market
October 8 to 9, 2011
Mannheim (D)
Agritechnica 2011 *
November 13 to 19, 2011
Hanover (D)
* Events in which Mercedes-Benz Unimog
is participating
Daimler AG has donated a total of 50 vehicles to help the clear-up operation in the area of Japan hit by the recent
earthquake and tsunami.
Help for Japan
DAIMLER IS HELPING: Shortly after the
disastrous earthquake and tsunami struck
Japan, Daimler AG made an emergency aid
donation totalling two million Euro. The
Japanese aid organisation Nippon Foundation
has now additionally been provided with
50 vehicles from Mercedes-Benz and Fuso to a
total value of four million Euro.
The vehicles flown to Japan from Stuttgart
by two Antonov 124s – the biggest cargo planes
in the world – included eight Mercedes-Benz
Zetros and four Unimogs. The vehicles’ great
manoeuvrability and off-road capability makes
them ideal for distributing aid, even over rough
terrain. The high off-road capability Unimog
U 5000, especially, is the perfect helper to have
around when disaster strikes.
More than 10,000 Daimler employees in
Germany also helped the aid effort, collecting
over half a million Euro for the Japanese Red
Cross.
r
The vehicles were loaded onto Antonov 124 cargo planes
in Stuttgart.
Six models for 60 years
THE YEAR 2011 is truly one with many
reasons for Mercedes-Benz to celebrate. The
company as a whole is marking 125 years of
the automobile. For Unimog fans the
60th anniversary celebration is of course
high on the event list. And
Mercedes-Benz has naturally come up with some
special ideas to mark the
occasion. They include a
highly sought-after and exclusive
collector’s item: a set of six 1:87
scale models tracing “60 years of the
Mercedes-Benz Unimog”, re-issued in a
special anniversary edition this year.
The set comprises the U 411, U 406, U 1850L,
U 140, U 44 and U 20, and costs 60 Euro.
It will be going on sale on the occasion of the
anniversary celebration at the Wörth plant
on June 4th 2011. The Unimog Museum in
Gaggenau will also be selling these six highly
prized models.
It is highly likely that this limited-edition
set will be quickly snapped up. So good hunting to all you avid collectors! r
A prized collectors’ set: Marking the anniversary,
Mercedes-Benz presents an exclusive set of
six scale models.
Unimog_0111_42-43_EN_42-44 22.06.11 18:47 Seite 43
UNIMOG 1 • 2011 • UNISCOPE 43
World Tour, part II
“WE HAD ALWAYS WANTED to cross the
Atlantic on-board a cargo ship. So in
November of last year we loaded our Unimog
on-board in Hamburg,” explains Riton Grab.
“After four weeks at sea, passing through
Le Havre, Dakar, Freetown, Rio de Janeiro,
Santos and Buenos Aires, we were finally
able to begin our trek across Argentina and
Chile in mid December.”
Dakar rally live
The first stage of the journey through
Argentina really got underway with the
Dakar rally, on which Riton Grab and his wife
Ruth met lots of interesting people. “Our
Unimog U 4000 was a real attention-grabber
on many an occasion. And we were immediately accepted by the professionals competing in the rally and treated as one of their
own,” Ruth Grab recounts with great pleasure. The adventurers followed this year’s
Dakar pack over several thousand kilometres, enjoying the experience of seeing rally
history being written live before their eyes.
The stage involved covering 10,000 kilometres of gravel and sand track in 15 days –
a feat which certainly left its mark both on
the vehicle systems and on the fitness of the
participants.
One of the major challenges was to cross
the Pass Jama between Argentina and Chile,
rising up to 4,830 metres above sea level.
There were some quite bizarre moments,
with engines failing and drivers having to
be given oxygen due to the high altitude.
The Grabs’ journey was completed without
incident – they were able to rely completely
on their Unimog as ever. After an extremely bureaucratic border-crossing – including
hours spent comparing stamp sizes and
colours on the relevant paperwork – they
were finally able to enter Chile. “But the wait
was well worthwhile. Over the border we
were greeted by colourful salt lakes, endless
vineyard-covered hillsides, picturesque hill
and mountain landscapes, and deep lakes.”
The adventurous duo were much impressed
by the cold and very damp rain forest. After
crossing the border, the journey headed
south through Barriloche on the infamous
and legendary R40 gravel track. One of the
highlights of this region is the Perito Moreno
glacier. At the glacier’s face, huge blocks the
size of a house continually break off the
60 metre high wall of ice and crash down into
the water below.
Welcome guests
“The hospitality we were afforded in
Argentina was unprecedented. We have
never before, when seeking a quiet spot to
spend the night, been suddenly in midconversation handed the key to someone’s
holiday home, with an invitation to make use
of it as we wished. That is Argentina as we
were privileged to experience it,” Ruth Grab
enthuses. The adventurous couple enjoyed
unique experiences which they will never
forget. For more impressions visit
www.grabtheworld.ch.
r
An idyllic spot to spend the night on the Pass Jama
between Argentina and Chile, at around 3,800 metres
above sea level.
Riton Grab in front of American vehicles on the
spectacular Dakar rally.
Beached: The Unimog U 4000 near Rio Gallegos on the Atlantic
Ocean in southern Argentina, parked next to a shipwreck.