List of Mercedes-Benz trucks

The first Mercedes-Benz truck range, presented at the 1926 Berlin Motor Show (October) and at the 1927 International Motor Show for Trucks and Special Vehicles in Cologne (May) included three basic models with the payloads of 1.5, 2.5 and 5 tons. Each model was available with a standard and a low-frame chassis. Low chassis made sense especially that time to make easier loading and unloading of the vehicle. Also the low chassis has been used to build the buses. The models with the standard chassis were L1, L2 and L5 (L stood for Lastwagen, German word for a truck, and the digit stood for the rated payload in tons). The models with the low chassis were N1, N2 and NJ5/N5 (N stood for Niederwagen, German word means a low car). The trucks were equipped with the 4 cylinders petrol engines (M14, M2 and M5), developing 45HP, 55HP and 70 HP. Mercedes-Benz L1 and L2 were the new models, but Mercedes-Benz L5 truck was basically a continuation of famous Benz 5CN truck, which was developed before the merge of Benz & Cie and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft companies.

In 1927 Mercedes-Benz presented its first diesel engine (OM5), which immediately became a sensation. It was the world's first six-cylinder diesel engine, installed on the commercial vehicle. Also from 1927 Mercedes-Benz offered the more powerful 6 cylinders petrol engines (M16, M26 and M36) developing 50HP, 70HP and 100 HP. Four cylinders engines were discontinued only one year later. Therefore, in 1927–1928 most of the trucks from the series L1,L2,L5 were available with 4 or 6 cylinders engines. To distinguish that, 6 cylinders versions of the trucks were referred sometimes as, for example, L1/6 or N2/6.

In 1927–1928 Mercedes-Benz also expanded the range of the truck models, adding the small model L3/4 with the payload of 750 kg (3/4 ton), which was developed from the passenger car Typ 200 Nürnberg, and a heavy three axis model N56 with the payload 7-9 tons. The payloads of L1 and L2 models was increased with the new 6 cylinder engines from 1.5 to 1.75 tons (model L1/N1) and from 2.5 to 3.0-4.0 tons (model L2/N2). To fill the newly formed gap between L1 and L2 models, Mercedes-Benz offered new 2.5 tons model L45/N46 and (a bit later) 2.75/3.0 tons model L57/N58.

Resulting diversity of the trucks made an impressive lineup of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, but also required a new, better system for their designations. In fact, by the year of 1930, only the model L5 still referred to its payload (5 tons). L1 model's payload has been gradually increased up to 2 tons, L2 model's payload - up to 4 tons, and L45/N46 and L57/N58 model names were not saying about their payload at all from the beginning, but were rather the company's internal model designations. So in October 1930 a new system for the commercial vehicle designation has been introduced. Basically, instead of the one digit, standing for the rated payload in tons, a four digits number, standing for the rated payload in kg, has now been used. This number followed the same letter L for the trucks (as before), or the letters Lo (LO) for the low chassis, or the letter O for the buses (O stood for the German word Omnibus, what is translated as a bus). According to that, the model L1 was renamed to L2000, model L45 was renamed to L2500, model L57 was renamed to L3000, model L2 was renamed to L4000, model L5 was renamed to L5000 and the model N56 was renamed to L8500. This nomenclature has been used for more than 20 years, until 1954.

The immediate post-war era was marked by rebuilding the trucking industry. In the mid-fifties, however, Germany's first federal transport minister Hans-Christoph Seebohm enacted a number of laws promoting the Bundesbahn at the expense of the trucking industry. Severe weight and dimension restrictions were particularly harmful to export-dependent Mercedes-Benz, as they had to develop duplicate truck lineups - one for export, and one for the restricted German market.[1] These restrictions were eased beginning in 1960, leaving Mercedes-Benz free to focus their efforts on a unified lineup once again.

• Mercedes-Benz short bonnet trucks

• Mercedes-Benz NG (Neue Generation)

• Mercedes-Benz SK (Schwere Klasse)
• Mercedes-Benz MB700 (coe)
• Mercedes-Benz MB800 (Built by Mercedes-Benz Türk since 1996, this five-ton cab-over truck uses an Indonesian cabin, a Brazilian engine, and a Spanish transmission)[2]

Mercedes-Benz Arocs 6x6

• Mercedes-Benz Atego - light truck from 7 to 16 tonnes
• Mercedes-Benz Axor - mid-sized truck from 18 to 26 tonnes in rigid and articulated
• Mercedes-Benz Actros - heavy duty rigid and premium articulated — 18 to 250 tonnes
• Mercedes-Benz Atron
• Mercedes-Benz Econic - low floor version of the Axor for refuse and specialist applications
• Mercedes-Benz Unimog - for special purpose applications and transport across extreme terrain
• Mercedes-Benz Zetros - off-road truck for extreme operations
• 1828L (F581) Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre
• 1517L Mobile Casualty Treatment Centre
• Mercedes-Benz Arocs
• Mercedes-Benz Antos

2013[3]

Mercedes-Benz internal model designations (in-house design codes) were always more or less just consecutively allocated design codes devoid of any deeper meaning. For the passenger cars they are so-called W-numbers, from German word Wagen (=car). For example, W202 is C-class, W220 is S-class etc. This system started in 1926 and the numbers are consecutive continued till now. From the 1970s letter W is used for saloons, while the other letters have been add for the different body types (f.e. W212 is E-class saloon, V212 is E-class limousine, S212 is E-class estate etc.). For the commercial vehicles for early decades letter L was used instead of letter W (German word Lastwagen means a truck). From the 1950s letter L was omitted, resulting in just 3 numbers code. Sometimes word Baumuster (model) or Baureihe (model line) was used, like Baumuster 352 (or in short BM352) or Baureihe 352 (in short BR.352). So, basically, with or without a letter(s) in front, there is unique 3-number code, which determine every Mercedes-Benz car. As for the trucks, 300-i.e. numbers were used till the 1980s to code Mercedes commercial vehicles, 600-i.e. numbers were used in the 1980s and 1990s, and 900-i.e. numbers have been used from the introduction of Sprinter (1995) and Actros (1996).

In 2011 the internal model designations system was a little bit reorganized:

1. Division.
   • 9: Commercial vehicle
2. Generation
   • 6: Actros/Antos/Arocs/Atego
   • 56: Econic
3. Project
   • 3: Actros/Antos On-road
   • 4: Arocs Off-road
   • 7: Atego
4. Kind of vehicle
   • 0: Rigid
   • 2: Dumper
   • 3: Concrete mixer
   • Tractor
5. Axle configuration/tonnage/rear suspension

For example: 963403 means Commercial Actros/Antos concrete mixer On-road vehicle, 4x2 18t