Unimog Und MB Trac - Die Chronik

There are tractors designed for ploughing fields, trucks intended for hauling enormous loads, and vehicles built to negotiate terrain that would cause an ordinary motorist to abandon the journey and seek professional assistance. Then there is the Unimog, a magnificent German invention that somehow manages to combine all three, frequently while looking as though somebody has attached a garden shed to a collection of industrial machinery and declared the result perfectly suitable for public roads.

In Unimog und MB Trac – Die Chronik (2002), Rudi Heppe chronicles the remarkable development of two of Mercedes-Benz’s most distinctive working vehicles. Published by Podszun, this German-language volume celebrates the engineering, versatility and extraordinary durability of the Unimog and MB-trac, machines whose principal purpose appears to be accomplishing jobs that would cause most conventional vehicles to surrender immediately.

The Unimog emerged in the years following the Second World War as an ingenious agricultural and utility vehicle, combining four-wheel drive, exceptional ground clearance and a remarkable ability to accommodate specialist equipment. Its very name derives from Universal-Motor-Gerät, meaning universal motorised machine, which is an admirably German way of announcing that the vehicle is expected to do practically everything except prepare the owner’s breakfast.

Over the decades, the Unimog developed into one of the world’s most versatile mechanical workhorses, serving farmers, military organisations, emergency services, municipal authorities and adventurous individuals who regard ordinary roads as an unnecessary limitation upon personal travel.

The MB-trac represented another fascinating chapter in Mercedes-Benz’s agricultural ambitions. Introduced during the 1970s, it offered a distinctive interpretation of tractor design, combining all-wheel drive, a centrally positioned cab and engineering principles intended to improve versatility and operator comfort. Compared with a conventional agricultural tractor, it looked almost suspiciously sophisticated, suggesting that somebody at Mercedes-Benz had decided farming could benefit from a little automotive refinement.

Heppe’s chronicle explores the development and evolution of these extraordinary machines, recalling an era when German manufacturers approached agricultural and industrial transport with formidable technical ambition. Both vehicles demonstrated that practical machinery need not be boring, although their impressive mechanical capabilities were unlikely to make them particularly convenient for collecting a takeaway on a Saturday evening.

Naturally, the Unimog and MB-trac developed enthusiastic followings among collectors and operators who appreciated their remarkable capabilities. Ownership, however, could involve substantial expenditure, considerable mechanical knowledge and the practical necessity of finding somewhere to park a machine that makes an ordinary family car look like a child’s pedal toy.

Condition: Good. This is a previously owned copy dating from 2002, displaying ordinary signs of age and handling. Unlike a hardworking Unimog, it requires no specialist servicing, enormous replacement tyres or a workshop equipped to accommodate several tons of German engineering.

Published by Podszun in 2002. German-language edition. ISBN: 3861332752.

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where we admire industrial engineering at its most gloriously excessive, particularly when the machinery can be appreciated without purchasing a small farm to justify owning it.

An excellent addition to any collection of agricultural machinery, Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle history or specialist German engineering literature. Particularly recommended for enthusiasts who believe that the ideal vehicle should be capable of ploughing a field, clearing snow, climbing a mountain and towing a stranded lorry, even if its most demanding regular assignment is transporting its proud owner to a vintage machinery rally.

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