Upfit this: Unimog

Nov. 26, 2018
A Unimog Museum tour and a test drive prompted a Trailer/Body BUILDERS editor to imagine the upfit possibilities and uses for the versatile utility vehicle. See the photos.

GAGGENAU, GERMANY. A funny thing happened on the way to the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover this fall: We were fortunate to take a side trip to the south to play with one of the most iconic multi-purpose vehicles on the planet.

The Universalmotorgerät or Unimog, originally built here following World War 2, is still produced by Mercedes-Benz and can be found wherever the roads are bad and there’s work to be done. They’re used in jungles, mountains, and deserts as military vehicles, fire fighters, and expedition rigs, and famously compete in off-road trials such as the Dakar Rally.

Fans of the Unimog are so devoted they created a museum as a tribute to the brand, highlighting the evolution of the vehicle and the many uses that have grown from its agricultural roots.

The gallery above features several photos from the museum, and a few others from the morning we spent putting the modern versions of the truck through their paces at a nearby test facility.

Unimogs are hard to come by in the U.S., but we can dream, can’t we?

About the Author

Kevin Jones | Editor

Kevin has served as editor-in-chief of Trailer/Body Builders magazine since 2017—just the third editor in the magazine’s 60 years. He is also editorial director for Endeavor Business Media’s Commercial Vehicle group, which includes FleetOwner, Bulk Transporter, Refrigerated Transporter, American Trucker, and Fleet Maintenance magazines and websites.

Working from Beaufort, S.C., Kevin has covered trucking and manufacturing for nearly 20 years. His writing and commentary about the trucking industry and, previously, business and government, has been recognized with numerous state, regional, and national journalism awards.