Good cause to celebrate
This year is an important one for Daimler
Trucks & Buses with several anniversaries being celebrated from the 125
years of the first truck as presented by Gottlieb Daimler in 1896 to 25 years
of the Actros.
Michael
Dietz, CEO of Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa says: “It is such an
honour and privilege to commemorate these key milestones and to be a part of
this strong heritage. What makes these remarkable accomplishments special is remembering
where it all started, and who has been with us throughout this journey.
“Our
esteemed customers, who have placed their trust in our products, our employees
across all sections who remained committed in making sure that we have the
right products for our customers, and lastly our dealer partners for serving
our customers diligently. As Daimler Trucks & Buses Southern Africa (DTBSA)
our ambition is to remain the truck & bus brand our customers want to
associate with.”
1896 – The first truck
When
Gottlieb Daimler presented his first truck in 1896 – sporting iron-clad wooden
wheels – the world certainly hadn't been waiting for this vehicle. In Germany
no buyer could be found and in England where the vehicle was finally sold, a
member of the crew had to walk ahead, waving a red flag to warn other road
users.
And yet,
this four-horsepower conveyance with a rear two-cylinder engine and a
displacement of 1,06 litres known as the Phoenix was to spark an unparalleled
success story in the transportation of cargo.
However the
Phoenix had little in common with a proper truck: strictly speaking it was a
converted wagon typical of those then pulled through the streets by horses. Its
chassis was fitted with leaf-springs that were mounted transversely at the
front and helical springs at the rear.
The
suspension wasn't just necessary because of the poor condition of the roads,
but also because the engine was very susceptible to vibrations.
The last
section of the drivetrain was modern: a belt transferred the engine power to a
shaft that was mounted transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
Each end of the shaft was fitted with a pinion, a small gear wheel. Each tooth
on the pinion meshed with the internal teeth of a ring gear which was firmly
connected with the wheel to be driven. Much later this construction was to become
a design trademark of Mercedes-Benz trucks: the planetary hub reduction axle –
on the ‘new generation’, on the SK (heavy-duty class) and even today on
construction vehicles.
1946 – The first Unimog prototype
In 1946 the ‘Prototype
1’ Unimog completed its first test drive. Chief designer Heinrich Rößler
himself was at the wheel, and he tested the prototype, which had no cab and was
fully laden with wood, on rough forest roads near Schwäbisch-Gmünd. The
creation of the Unimog is closely linked to the difficult situation in the
post-war period, when Germany was suffering supply shortages.
In 1945 and
1946, there was a dire lack of food. It was this situation that gave Albert
Friedrich, who for many years was head of aircraft engine development at
Daimler-Benz AG, the idea of an agricultural motorised vehicle which could
help to increase agricultural productivity.
After the
war ended, Friedrich had renewed his contacts with Erhard & Söhne, a metal
construction company and supplier of Daimler-Benz in Schwäbisch-Gmünd, and in
December 1945 the department responsible for the agricultural market began
work.
Friedrich
passed the leadership of the project on to his former subordinate, designer
Heinrich Rößler, who took up the post on January 2, 1946. In only a
few weeks, a new overall design was developed, with the engine and gearbox
positioned directly to the right of the vehicle's centre.
This meant
that the torque tubes – which protect the drive shafts – could be at right
angles to the axles. As a result, only four drive joints were needed for the
chassis. This was a brilliant design which, 75 years later, is still used for
the Unimog of the highly mobile U 4023/U 5023 series.
In March
1946, Hans Zabel from Gaggenau, who had been part of the project from the beginning,
coined the term Unimog (Universal-Motor-Gerät, ie universally applicable
motorised machine) and in October 1946 the vehicle was taken on its first test
drive.
1951 – The first Setra bus
The Setra brand
is proud of its roots. In1951 Ulm-based Kässbohrer Fahrzeugwerke presented the
S 8 and gave the brand its name – Setra – which stands for ‘self-supporting’.
The first
bus manufactured in series production with a self-supporting body, rear engine
and direct drive to the rear axle was presented at the International Motor Show
(IAA) in Frankfurt.
Over the
last 70 years the brand has not only set standards for European bus design with
six model series, but has inspired, changed and advanced this sector in an
exemplary fashion.
The current
flagship of this traditional brand which has always stood for the highest
degree of individuality is the S 531 DT, a double-decker bus from the Setra
TopClass 500 range.
1996 – Mercedes-Benz Actros
At the end
of September 1996 Mercedes-Benz presented a new heavy-duty truck at the IAA
Commercial Vehicles that was to revolutionise the industry: the Actros was the
first truck to be fitted with disk brakes and the electronic brake system
(EBS). Together they made the Actros the safest vehicle in its class.
Furthermore,
innovative technology such as the ‘Telligent systems’ improved efficiency
considerably. Amongst other things maintenance intervals were extended by more
than double, fuel consumption was reduced by three to seven percent depending
on the type of operation and payload was increased by up to 400 kg.
Safety and
comfort were also significantly improved. Thanks to the Telligent braking
system with disk brakes, for example, it was possible to shorten the braking
distance of the Actros travelling at a speed of 85 km/h by the length of a
tractor/trailer combination. The design engineers also paid great attention to
detail: a new type of wing lining reliably reduced the spray when driving in
rain.
Environmental
compatibility was also improved with newly developed, more efficient V-engines
and by improvements to vehicle assembly for example: here energy input was
reduced by almost 50 percent. New cabs provided their occupants with up to 47%
more space in the interior and were designed to meet the specific needs of the
driver.
The cabs were safer too – they had all passed the huge range of
different crash tests both in simulation and real driving conditions. The
airbags and seats with integrated seat belt tensioner were also new. Every
newly presented Actros was voted ‘Truck of the year’ and even today the Actros
remains a pioneer with regard to safety.
“Looking
ahead, the future is certainly bright and exciting for the DTBSA brands, as
there is a rapid shift in the truck & bus industry to autonomous driving,
electrification and connectivity. As we adapt to these evolutions, we remain
resolute and committed to continue to provide our customers with reliable, fuel
efficient, and safe vehicles to address their demanding business needs,” says
Maretha Gerber, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
