Editing Unimog (section)

== History ==
=== 1940s ===
==== 1945 – First prototype ====
[[File:Unimog_Logo_urspruenglich.svg|thumb|upright|Original Boehringer-era logo from the 1940's]]

Originally, the Unimog was developed in post-war Germany to be used as agricultural equipment. It was designed with equal-sized wheels, a mounting bracket in front, a hitch in the rear, and loading space in the center. This was to make it a multi-purpose vehicle that farmers could use in the field and on the highway.<ref name=Nellinger />{{rp|7}}
Albert Friedrich was granted permission to develop the Unimog in November 1945,<ref name=Vogler_2015 />{{rp|6}} and entered a production agreement with Erhard und Söhne (Erhard and Sons) in [[Schwäbisch Gmünd]] on 1 December 1945.<ref name=Nellinger />{{rp|7}} Development began on 1 January 1946. Soon after, Heinrich Rößler, the Unimog lead designer, joined the development team. The first prototype was ready by the end of 1946. The early prototypes were equipped with the [[Mercedes-Benz M136 engine|M 136]] [[Otto cycle|Otto engine]], because the development of the [[Mercedes-Benz OM636 engine|OM 636]] [[Diesel engine]] had not been finished.<ref name=Vogler_2015 />{{rp|13}} The prototypes were similar to the later series production models. The original track width of {{Convert|1.270|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}} was equivalent to two potato rows.<ref name=Nellinger />{{rp|8}}

==== 1947 – Production ====
[[File:Mercedes-Benz-Museum 2015-01 by-RaBoe 187.jpg|thumb|1948 [[Unimog 70200|Boehringer Unimog 70200]]]]
The 25-PS (18&nbsp;kW) OM 636 [[Mercedes-Benz]] Diesel engine became standard equipment in the first production Unimogs at the end of 1947. The original emblem for the Unimog was a pair of ox horns in the shape of the letter U. The first 600 units of the [[Unimog 70200|70200 series Unimogs]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://emercedesbenz.com/Jul08/02_001232_eMercedesBenz_Feature_Daimler_Benz_Launches_The_Unimog_At_The_German_Agricultural_Show_In_Frankfurt.html |title=Feature: Daimler-Benz Launches The Unimog At The German Agricultural Show In Frankfurt &#124; eMercedesBenz - The Unofficial Mercedes-Benz Weblog |publisher=eMercedesBenz |date=2008-07-02 |access-date=2015-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903030255/http://emercedesbenz.com/Jul08/02_001232_eMercedesBenz_Feature_Daimler_Benz_Launches_The_Unimog_At_The_German_Agricultural_Show_In_Frankfurt.html |archive-date=2015-09-03}}</ref> were built by [[Boehringer (trucks)|Boehringer]]. This was done mainly for two reasons: Erhard und Söhne did not have the capacity to build the Unimogs and Boehringer (a former tool manufacturer) could evade dismantling.<ref name=Nellinger />{{rp|8}}

=== 1950s ===
[[File:Unimog mit Schneefräse um 1955.jpg|thumb|Unimog 401 with [[snow blower]], c. 1955]]
In late 1950, Mercedes-Benz entered into a contract with Boeringer to take over production of the Unimog.<ref>{{Cite web |title=70 Years Ago Today Daimler-Benz Took over Unimog Production |url=https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/classic-cars/a34496679/70-years-ago-today-daimler-benz-took-over-unimog-production/ |date=27 October 2020 |author-last=Ramey |author-first=James |website=[[Autoweek]] |publisher=Hearst Autos, Inc. |access-date=1 November 2020}}</ref>

==== 1951 – Daimler-Benz – Gaggenau manufacturing plant ====
{{Main|Unimog 2010}}
Daimler-Benz modified the Unimog for mass production to create the series 2010 and in 1951, started its manufacture in their [[Gaggenau]] plant in Baden-Württemberg, where production continued until 2002.<ref name="DaimlerAG 2000s">{{cite web |url=https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko.xhtml?oid=9362074 |title=2000 to the present day: New Unimog generations |publisher=Daimler AG |access-date=1 November 2020}}</ref>

==== 1953 – The 401, 402 and the closed cab ====
[[File:U401.jpg|thumb|Unimog 401 with a Westfalia Typ B cab, 1954]]
{{Main|Unimog 401}}
In 1953, the Unimog was updated and the three-pointed Mercedes star began to appear on the bonnet, replacing the Unimog ox horn emblem. The new model became known as the series 401.<ref name="Vogler_2015">{{cite book |author-first=Carl-Heinz |author-last=Vogler |title=Typenatlas Unimog. Alle Unimog-Klassiker seit 1946 bis 1993 |publisher=GeraMond |place=München |lang=de |date=2015 |isbn=978-3-86245-026-8 }}</ref>{{rp|25}} A new series 402 with a long wheelbase chassis ({{Convert|2120|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} instead of {{Convert|1720|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}) also became available.

An enclosed driver's cab was available as an option from 1953, making the Unimog a true all-weather vehicle.<ref>{{cite book |author-first=Werner |author-last=Oswald |title=Mercedes-Benz Lastwagen und Omnibusse 1886–1986 |lang=de |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag |place=Stuttgart |date=2008 |isbn=978-3-613-02943-9 |page=321}}</ref>

==== 1955 – The 404 S ====
{{Main|Unimog 404}}
In 1955, the first [[Unimog 404|Unimog 404 S]] series were produced. The primary customer of the 404 S was the [[Bundeswehr]] (literally ''Federal Defence'', i.e. the [[West German]] Armed Forces), which was created in the mid-1950s in the era of the [[Cold War]].<ref name=Vogler_2015 />{{rp|43}}

The 404 was intended to be a mobile cross-country [[truck]], instead of an agricultural implement. The 404 S is the most popularly produced variant. 64,242 units were produced between 1955 and 1980. The oldest 404 known to exist is the first 1953 prototype, located in an East German museum.<ref name=Vogler_2015 />{{rp|55}}

==== 1957 ====
Starting in 1957, the [[Unimog 411]] was offered with a [[synchromesh gearbox]] as an option, and in 1959, the synchromesh gearbox became standard.<ref name=Vogler_2014 />

=== 1960s ===
{{Main|Unimog 406}}
[[File:Shunting vehicle 01.JPG|thumb|1971 model Unimog 406, as a [[Road–rail vehicle]] used for shunting ([[Rail car mover]])]]

The 406/416 ''middle series'' were produced beginning in 1963. They were equipped with the six-cylinder [[pre-combustion chamber]] Diesel engine OM 312 producing {{Convert|65|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}}. The 406 and 416 are similar, The 416 having a longer {{Convert|2900|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} wheelbase compared to {{Convert|2380|mm|in|abbr=on}} for the 406. Starting in 1964, the 406-series was equipped with the direct injected [[Mercedes-Benz OM352 engine|OM 352]] Diesel engine starting with {{Convert|65|PS|kW hp|0|abbr=on}} and going up to {{Convert|84|PS|kW hp|0|abbr=on}} ({{Convert|110|PS|kW|0|abbr=on}} for the Unimog 416).<ref name="Vogler_2016">{{cite book |author-first=Carl-Heinz |author-last=Vogler |title=Unimog 406 – Typengeschichte und Technik |lang=de |publisher=Geramond |place=München |date=2016 |isbn=978-3-86245-576-8 }}</ref>{{rp|104}}

Between the original Unimog and the middle series, Daimler-Benz developed a ''light'' series. The light series consisted of two separate Unimog series, the 421 and the 403. The 403, which basically is a 406-series with a {{Convert|54|PS|kW hp|0|abbr=on}} 3.8-litre four-cylinder engine, has a {{Convert|2380|mm|in|abbr=on}} wheelbase and was later supplemented by the 413-series, which is a four-cylinder-version of the 416-series (long wheelbase ({{Convert|2900|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}) model). The 421 is the successor of the 411-series and has a {{Convert|2250|mm|in|abbr=on}} wheelbase. It is powered by a {{Convert|40|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} 2.2-litre passenger car Diesel engine.<ref name=Vogler_2016 />{{rp|107}}

The 100,000th Unimog (a 421) was built in 1966 in Gaggenau.<ref name=Vogler_2015 />{{rp|8}}

Argentina was the first country to manufacture the Unimog outside Germany. The first Unimog produced in the Mercedes-Benz Argentina S.A. factory in Gonzalez Catán, in the outskirts of Buenos Aires city, rolled off the assembly line on 1 September 1968.<ref name="Garcia Loperena_2015">{{cite book |author1-first=Gaston Javier |author1-last=Garcia Loperena |date=2015 |title=El Unimog en el Ejército Argentino |lang=es |place=Buenos Aires |publisher=1884 Editorial |isbn=9789509822993}}</ref>{{rp|232}}

The two models made in Argentina, are the 426 and 431. They are versions of the 416 respectively 431 produced under licence.<ref name=Vogler_2016 />{{rp|122}}

=== 1970s ===
==== 1972 – MB Trac ====
{{Main|MB Trac}}
[[File:MB-trac 443.166 JM 2023 08 12 5D410155.jpg|thumb|The [[MB-trac]] range of [[agricultural tractor]]s produced from 1973 until 1991 by Daimler-Benz is based on the trac design principle and shares the Unimog's drivetrain. Pictured, 1600 turbo.]]

Despite originally being designed as an agricultural vehicle, the Unimog had more success as a multi-purpose tool carrier. To actually serve the agricultural market, Daimler-Benz designed a completely new agricultural tractor in 1972, the [[MB Trac]]. It is a body-on-frame design ''trac''-tractor, has four big wheels of the same size, and all-wheel-drive, a slim bonnet, and an angular driver cab. In contrast to conventional tractors the cab is situated between the axles, similar to comparable four-wheel-drive tractors. There is no articulation between the front and rear sections, instead, the MB Trac has conventional steering.

A wide range of MB Trac tractors were offered, ranging from the entry model MB-trac 65 to the top model MB Trac 1800 intercooler. Daimler-Benz later merged the MB-trac with the agricultural machinery activities of [[Deutz AG]]. The manufacturing of the MB Trac series ceased in 1991.

==== 1974 – Heavy series ====
{{Main article|Unimog 425}}
In 1974, Mercedes-Benz presented the new Unimog U 120. It was the first model of the "heavy duty" Unimog series 425. The heavy duty series, or simply "heavy" series, extended the Unimog model lineup. The characteristic "edgy" bonnet introduced with the heavy Unimog series remains a Unimog style element to this day.

The series 425 have a {{Convert|2810|mm|in|abbr=on}} wheelbase, 9&nbsp;t permissible maximum mass and an OM 352 Diesel engine producing {{Convert|120|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} (shortly thereafter {{Convert|125|PS|kW hp|abbr=on}} as U 125).

==== 1975 – Series 435 ====
{{Main|Unimog 435}}
Manufacture of the series 435 for the [[Bundeswehr]] began in 1975, as a successor of the Unimog S&nbsp;404. The 435 was characterized by a long wheelbase of {{Convert|3250|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|3700|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} or {{Convert|3850|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} and shares its cab with the series 425.

==== 1976 – Unimog models renamed ====
[[File:Unimog U1300.jpg|thumb|right|Unimog U 1300 municipal truck in [[Rēzekne]], [[Latvia]]]]
The new 424 "middle" series of Unimogs was produced starting from 1976. They share the cab with the series-425 and are designated U 1000, U 1300/L, U 1500, and U 1700/L with {{Convert|124|kW|hp PS|0|abbr=on}} engine performance.

In the same period Daimler-Benz re-ordered the type designations for the older series. The classical round form series of the Unimog were now designated U 600/L, U 800/L, U 900 and U 1100/L. (The letter L stands for a long wheelbase, because most models were available in two wheelbase variants.)

The Unimog with the rounded driving cab became known as the ''light'' series. The new series with angular cab was divided by payload into a ''middle'' and ''heavy'' series. Some engines overlap – the Unimog nomenclature is not simple to understand (see below for notes on series names).

The long-proven Unimog-S (404), although with clearly decreasing production figures, was the only Unimog with an Otto cycle engine in the lineup.

With the exception of the entry-level model, all Unimogs for 1976 were equipped with four wheel [[disc brakes]].

==== 1977 – 200,000th Unimog ====
The 200,000th Unimog, a 424.121, was produced in 1977.<ref name="Unimog 1976 bis 1985" />

=== 1980s ===
[[File:Unimog 427 11.04.21 JM.jpg|thumb|Unimog 427 short-wheelbase (2650&nbsp;mm) tractor – the Unimog 427 was among the first Unimogs to be fitted with the 6-litre [[Mercedes-Benz OM366 engine|OM366]] Diesel engine]]

In 1980, production of the U 404 (Unimog S) ended.

The light and medium series 407 and 427 were introduced in 1985.

Production of the 406 and 416 ceased in 1988 and the 437-series was introduced the same year.

=== 1990s ===
==== 1992 – New light models ====
[[File:Blue Unimog 408 or 418 pickup truck.jpg|thumb|Unimog 408 [[dump truck]]]]
In the early 1990s, the new light models 408 (U 90) and 418 (U 110-U 140) with newly designed cabins were introduced to replace the predecessor models. The new very diagonal front portion gives the operator a good overview forward. The 408 features an asymmetric front bonnet, which is lower on the driver's side. This is supposed to permit the driver a good overview. A new ladder frame and progressively working coil springs to improve the Unimog's handling were implemented. In addition to that, the Unimog received a new tyre pressure adjustment system that can be operated whilst driving, an anti-skid system, new engines, and a "Servolock" mechanism for the hydraulic connection of implements.

==== 1994 – The "Funmog" ====
In March 1994, Mercedes-Benz presented the design concept "Funmog", a luxury version of the Unimog, on the International Off-Road-Exhibition in Köln, Germany. Based on the 408-series,<ref name="Funmog">Daimler-Benz AG (ed): ''[https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/de/instance/ko/Unimog-Studie-Funmog-praesentiert.xhtml?oid=4912709 Unimog Studie „Funmog" präsentiert]''. 15 March 1994. Retrieved 30 December 2018</ref> it was only built by special order. Luxury options such as leather seats, deluxe carpeting and other interior modifications were available; though the design featured chrome bull bars and air horns, it lacked hydraulics and was limited to a total mass of 5,000&nbsp;kg.<ref name="Trucker">{{cite web |author-first=Jan |author-last=Burgdorf |url=http://www.trucker.de/mercedes-funmog-die-suche-nach-dem-sinn-1723283.html |title=Mercedes Funmog: Die Suche nach dem Sinn |lang=de |date=24 December 2015 |access-date=30 December 2018}}</ref> Starting price was DM&nbsp;140,000.<ref name="Rhein-Zeitung" /> A total of twelve units were built through 1997 by Daimler-Benz,<ref name="Rhein-Zeitung">Rhein Zeitung: ''[http://archiv.rhein-zeitung.de/on/97/08/06/topnews/funmog.html Vom Unimog zum Funmog] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230181412/http://archiv.rhein-zeitung.de/on/97/08/06/topnews/funmog.html |date=2018-12-30 }}''. 6 August 1997. Retrieved 30 December 2018</ref> most exported to Japan.<ref name=Nellinger />{{rp|23}}

==== 1995 – U 2450 L 6×6 ====
[[File:Abenteuer Allrad 2013 - Unimog 437 U4000 6x6 RV Unicat MD52h.jpg|thumb|Unimog U 2450 L 6×6]]
In 1995, the Unimog U 2450 L 6×6 (437.156), an all-wheel-drive, 3-axle Unimog version, was presented.<ref>Unimog-Club Gaggenau: ''[https://unimog-club-gaggenau.de/historie-unimog/1992-2002/ Unimog 1992 bis 2002]'', retrieved 30 December 2018</ref>

==== 1996 – UX 100 ====
Mercedes-Benz presented the Unimog 409 (officially called UX 100) in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.trucksplanet.com/catalog/model.php?id=854 |title=Mercedes-Benz Unimog UX100 |website=TrucksPlanet.com |access-date=4 March 2018}}</ref> It is the smallest Unimog model ever made and designed to slip speedily over sidewalks and around plants. Within a few years, production of the UX 100 was transferred to the [[Multicar]] subsidiary of [[Hako GmbH]], who specialize in vehicles of this kind and size.

=== 2000s ===
[[File:000280 - Camión de Bomberos.jpg|thumb|Unimog 437.4 U 5000 (UHN) [[fire engine]] with [[rollover protection structure]]s]]
[[File:Unimog U20 in Germany (cropped).JPG|left|thumb|Unimog U 20]]
[[File:Brabus Unimog U500 Black Edition at the Mercedes-Benz World corr.jpg|thumb|Unimog U 500 Black Edition at the [[Mercedes-Benz World]]]]
{{Main article|Unimog 405}}
The all-new range of UGN models ([[Unimog 405|405 series]] U&nbsp;300, U&nbsp;400, U&nbsp;500) was introduced in 2000.

In August 2002 production ended in the Gaggenau plant after 51 years and more than 320,000 Unimogs being made, and started up in Mercedes-Benz's truck manufacturing plant in [[Wörth am Rhein]]. The U&nbsp;3000, U&nbsp;4000 and U&nbsp;5000 models (UHN 437.4 series) were introduced at the same time.<ref name="DaimlerAG 2000s" />

At the [[Dubai Motor Show]] in December 2005, the "Unimog U 500 Black Edition" premiered as an offering to wealthy desert-dwellers. It is a similar luxury offering comparable to the Funmog.

Starting from June 2006 the UGN series was produced with [[BlueTec]] technology so that the [[Euro IV]] emission requirements would be met. The design designations changed from 405.100 to 405.101.

At the IAA 2006 commercial vehicle show in Hanover a new Unimog'' U&nbsp;20 '' was presented, which was to be available at the end of 2007. The most striking feature is the [[cab over]] design with no vestigial front bonnet characteristic of the traditional Unimog. It has a total mass of 7,500&nbsp;kg up to 8,500&nbsp;kg. The underlying technology comes from the U 300. The driving cab is from the new Brazilian Accelo light truck (Caminhões Leves) series. The wheelbase is shortened to {{Convert|2700|mm|in|0|abbr=on}}.

=== 2010s ===
[[File:Unimog-Museum Weltenbummlertreffen 2017 06 (37440724274) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Unimog 405]] UGE variant 2013–]]
In August 2013, production of the next generation models commenced at the Wörth plant. The new models feature redesigned cabins and new engines that were claimed to meet the [[Euro emission standards#Emission standards for trucks and buses|Euro VI emission standards]].
<ref>{{Cite web | title=World Premiere Unimog and Econic | publisher=Daimler AG | date=19 April 2013 | url=http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1591297-1-1591303-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-7163-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html | access-date=15 July 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720213929/http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-1591297-1-1591303-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-7163-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.html | archive-date=20 July 2014}}</ref>