1972

MB-trac – new approach to agricultural tractors.

This rapid progress in model policy, which may not have been easily comprehensible at all times, resulted in another anniversary: production of the 100,000th Unimog in May 1966. During its career over almost 20 years, the Unimog had developed magnificently ever since the days the first chassis prototype had been completed. It had long since acquired a legendary offroader reputation throughout the world. As successful as the Unimog may have been, it was only rarely used in agriculture. To cover this market segment, Daimler-Benz therefore launched an additional vehicle in 1972: the MB-trac.

The new agricultural tractor combined Unimog engineering, including all-wheel drive and power transmission to four equal-sized wheels, with the looks of a tractor: a long and very narrow bonnet and behind it an angular, high-rising driver's cab. Contrary to conventional tractors, however, the cab was located between the axles and fully enclosed – the MB-trac was the car among tractors.

Within just a few years, the initial MB-trac 65 and MB-trac 70 (later 700) models developed into a broad series right up to the extremely powerful MB-trac 1800. In spite of this, the MB-trac failed to become a great hit. Daimler-Benz eventually integrated the MB-trac into a joint venture with the agricultural machinery unit of Deutz. Production of the MB-trac was discontinued in 1991.