The Mercedes Benz Unimog is one of the worlds best light-medium duty rough terrain cargo vehicles for about 50 years now.

The first models were developed shortly after World War II in 1948. First developed as an agricultural tractor, the Unimog (Unimog = Universal Motor Gerät, universal engined vehicle) later proofed to be useful in many tasks, like fire rescue, forest work, rescue and of course the military.

The most famous of all Unimogs is still the S404, the gasoline powered vehicle build until the late 60s and early seventies. It was available in many different variants, mostly with a soft top roof (very nice in the summertime). On its rear the car either had a pure flatbed for cargo or troops or a box for ambulance or radio equipment. This vehicle is still in use in many armies of the world although it’s totally outdated today (and horrible to drive compared to the later models, as is it 'swimming' over the roads).

The U1300L was introduced in 1975. It’s mainly found with a flatbed on the rear for transport purposes or to carry communication containers, but there are also version with a closed box, mainly used as ambulances. With its 130hp diesel engine, the Unimog runs slightly faster than 80 kilometers per hour and at this speed it's supprisingly comfitably. Even without any sound proofing you can have a conversation with only slightly raised voises. In general the modern Unimogs drive just like a bigger car, much smoother than the old S404 ones.

New Unimogs can be purchased on all major continents in either of two series. Medium series 405, also known as the UGN ("Geräteträger" or equipment carrier), is available in the U300-U500 model. The heavy series 437, also known as the UHN ("Hochgeländegängig" or highly mobile cross country), is available as the U3000-U5000 model.

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