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Automotive Lifestyle
101 Cars: Mercedes Unimog
Go anywhere, do anything
SPEEDtv.com is celebrating the launch of the new program "101 Cars You Must Drive" with a weekly countdown of the vehicles featured in the show. Tune-in to SPEED at 9pm ET on Monday nights, and to SPEEDtv.com every day for new "Must Drive" features.
SPEEDtv.com is celebrating the launch of the new program "101 Cars You Must Drive" with a weekly countdown of the vehicles featured in the show. Tune-in to SPEED at 9pm ET on Monday nights, and to SPEEDtv.com every day for new "Must Drive" features.
Unimog stands for Universal-Motor-Gerät, German for universal motor equipment, and if ever there were truth in advertising, this is it. (Photo: Diamler Global Media)
The Shmoo, for anyone who remembers the Li'l Abner comic strip, was a little blob-shaped critter that would be anything you wanted him to be. The Unimog is a mechanical shmoo, only without the self-sacrificing part. Unimog stands for Universal-Motor-Gerät, German for universal motor equipment, and if ever there were truth in advertising, this is it. Technically, the Unimog is a forward-control tractor with four equal-sized wheels, but from there it can do anything from farming and roadside grass mowing to off-road firefighting, and Unimog makes a military version as well. Developed in postwar Germany and adopted by Mercedes-Benz in 1953, the Unimog was powered by a six-cylinder Mercedes passenger car engine and had a relatively short 114-inch wheelbase with minimal front or rear overhang. Portal axles offset the wheelhub downward for another 6 inches of clearance. It had a top speed of almost 60 miles per hour but was unstoppable off-road. A larger version was added in the mid-1970s with more power, more ground clearance, and deeper fording capability. It's the go-anywhere versatility that's the greatest asset of the Unimog, however. If you need to go somewhere, a Unimog can get you there.
Specifications
Engine: 6.4-liter turbocharged diesel inline six
Horsepower: 260
0-60 mph: Maybe seconds
Top Speed: About 60 miles per hour
Price New: $80,000 (current model)
Value Now: Classic Unimogs are available for as little as $8,000
Mercedes-Benz Unimog Photos
CLAIM TO FAME: The go-anywhere, do-anything motorized appliance from Diamler-Benz
SOUNDTRACK: "The Happy Wanderer" (Mein Vater war ein Wandersmann)
PERFECT PASSENGER: For serious off-roading, don't take a passenger. Take a spotter.
BEHIND THE WHEEL: Contact the Rocky Mountain Moggers for classic Unimogs, or visit your friendly U.S. Unimog dealer for a new one.
DID YOU KNOW: Unimog is now being sold in the United States as a part of Freightliner.
THE PERFECT DRIVE: Somewhere you're not supposed to be able to go.
Read the REVIEW and Get Your Copy of 365 Cars You Must Drive
Catch 101 Cars You Must Drive on SPEED! Monday nights at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.
Check out the 101 Cars Countdown!
The Unimog is a well-behaved beast! Ever been in one or driven one? We want to know the story!
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