MB Trac - History

History

The Unimog was quite successful, except as originally intended as an agricultural platform. Daimler-Benz produced a new vehicle in 1972, the MB-trac, to be more oriented to larger scale mechanical farming. The new tractor crossed the Unimog technology of all-wheel drive and a power transmission to four large equal-sized wheels, with the appearance of a tractor: slim hood, behind it an angular, highly rising driver cab. In contrast to conventional tractors, the cab is situated between the axles, similar to large "four wheel drive" wheel loader - however, the steering is realized not by an articulated front and rear, but with a normal steerable front axle.

From the initial MB-trac 65 and MB-trac 70 (later MB-trac 700), a broad platform developed to the heavy duty MB-trac 1500 within a few years, culminating in the MB-trac 1800 intercooler shortly before production ceased. The MB-trac was reasonably successful on the market, though it did not meet the high expectations Mercedes-Benz had set on it. Daimler-Benz later merged the MB-trac with the agricultural machinery activities of Deutz AG. The manufacturing of the MB-trac series ended in 1991, when the production line was taken over by the Werner company. 41,000 vehicles were produced of the original MB-trac, 30,000 of which are still in service today.

In Belgium, the company UCA had started converting MB-trac and WF-trac machines for rail shunting purposes in 1981.