The Unimog was a sensational novelty back in 1948 at the DLG trade fair for agriculture in Frankfurt am Main

In 1948 the Unimog was yet to bear the Mercedes-Benz name and was instead produced by the Boehringer machine-building company in Göppingen. The vehicle created quite a stir at the 1948 trade fair organised by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) in Frankfurt am Main: it was the first time ever that an agricultural tractor had been equipped with two seats, a load area, all-wheel drive, sprung axles and the ability to reach a top speed of 50 km/h. Despite all of these novel characteristics, the vehicle instilled confidence in potential customers as it was powered by the well-known and trustworthy four-cylinder, 25-hp Daimler-Benz diesel engine.

After its first-ever presentation to a broad audience, the vehicle became an instant hit and the Boehringer team returned home with a full order book for 150 units. From February 1949, more than 600 Unimog vehicles were built at the Boehringer factory in Göppingen, before production of the universally applicable motorised device was shifted to Gaggenau in 1951 and subsequently to Wörth, where it was re-branded as the Mercedes-Benz Unimog.