• Rare historical trucks were put on show against the backdrop of Karlsruhe Palace
• Mercedes-Benz Trucks took part in a classic vehicle event with five legendary trucks from the Classic collection: L 3000 S, L 5000, LAK 315, LP 333
  and LP 608
• Rarities: Three-axle, 16-ton LP 333 with dual front axle and first truck from Wörth

Leinfelden-Echterdingen / Karlsruhe – Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic showcased five Mercedes-Benz classic vehicle highlights at the traditional “Tribute to Carl Benz” event last Sunday. Against the historic backdrop of Karlsruhe Palace, the five trucks from the company’s 125-year history of trucks demonstrated that commercial vehicles bearing the three-pointed star have been symbolizing the attainment of the highest standards for quality, innovation, safety, economy and reliability for decades.

“We are pleased to be able to take part in this celebration as Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic for the first time, an event that honors one of our company founders,” says Bernd Hufendiek from Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic, in his role as the person responsible for vehicle support. “We are particularly proud to showcase five jewels from our collection at this event, some of which will be on display at our Customer Center in Wörth for the rest of the year.”

Traditional event in honor of the inventor of the motorcar, Carl Benz

Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., drivers and classic car experts from Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic were ready and waiting by the vehicles at this Sunday tribute to probably Karlsruhe’s most famous citizen, Carl Benz, providing interesting information for the visitors. The five rare trucks from the Mercedes-Benz truck plant in Wörth were placed right at the main entrance to the event near the Karl Friedrich monument, having been driven there from Wörth to Karlsruhe.

Almost 400 participants came to Schlossplatz for the “Tribute to Carl Benz”. Classic cars built up to no later than 1973 – including many with the three-pointed star – attracted several tens of thousands of visitors.

Rare classic trucks from Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic against a historic backdrop

The oldest Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic exhibit on Schlossplatz in Karlsruhe was a Mercedes-Benz L 3000 S platform vehicle from 1939, of which around 16,500 units were built. The “S” stands for standard, meaning rear wheel drive. The OM 65 pre-chamber diesel engine with four cylinders in line and a displacement of 4,850 cm³ delivers 51 kW (70 hp) and has been combined with a five-speed transmission. This accelerates the conventionally built three-ton vehicle with ladder-type frame and rigid axles to up to 70 km/h. Even back then, engineers at Mercedes-Benz paid close attention to keeping the diesel consumption of their trucks as low as possible: around 18 liters per 100 kilometers for the L 3000 S – a record at the time.

1951 saw the birth of the Mercedes-Benz L 5000 with 7274 cm³ displacement, 88 kW (120 hp) output and a five-ton payload, which was on display in Karlsruhe as a platform vehicle with tarp. This further development of the L 4500, however, also features what was cutting-edge equipment at the time. The vehicle was built at the Gaggenau plant. The basic design of this truck with pre-chamber six-cylinder in-line engine with rounded shapes lasted for more than 20 years and was produced until 1963.

The Mercedes-Benz L 315 is a heavy-duty cab-behind-engine truck. A total of over 13,700 of these rear-wheel-drive, manual six-speed platform vehicles, dump trucks and semitrailer tractors were manufactured at the Gaggenau plant from 1950 to 1958 and marketed as the L 6600 from 1950 to 1955. The “Tribute to Carl Benz” was a Mercedes-Benz LAK 315 all-wheel-drive dump truck variant from 1955. The OM 315 six-cylinder pre-chamber engine with 107 kW (145 hp) output and 8,276 cm³ displacement is a characteristic model. In 1957, a cab-over-engine variant with rear wheel drive was added to the model range, of which 2,480 trucks were built.

Rarity: Twin front axle from Gaggenau and first truck from Wörth

A rare “millipede” was also on show in Karlsruhe with a Mauxion chocolate box body: The three-axle, 16-ton Mercedes-Benz LP 333 truck from 1960 is one of the few roadworthy cab-over-engine trucks left with a twin front axle.
Only 1,833 vehicles from this exceptional truck model series were built at the time as an emergency solution as a result of legislation brought in by the Minister for Transport at the time, Hans-Christoph Seebohm, in order to achieve a higher payload with the same permissible gross vehicle weight. The OM 326 six-cylinder pre-chamber diesel engine with 10,809 cm³ displacement delivers 147 kW (200 hp) and helps the truck reach a maximum speed of 84 km/h. A six-speed transmission and rear wheel drive provide the power transmission.

The “youngest” member of the Mercedes-Benz truck family on show in Karlsruhe was the LP 608, a lightweight cab-over-engine platform vehicle with a short cubic driver’s cab from 1965. It was a model from this series in an identical color that was the very first truck to roll off the production line at the Wörth plant on July 14, 1965. The most important vehicle data of the exhibit: Direct-injection in-line four-cylinder OM 314 with 59 kW (80 hp), 3,783 cm³ displacement, five-speed transmission, rear wheel drive and a top speed of 80 km/h.