Mercedes-Benz L 319
Encyclopedia
The Mercedes-Benz L 319 is a light commercial vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz
between 1955 and 1967. Larger than a standard delivery van, but smaller than a conventional light truck of the period, it was the manufacturer's first model in this class. The vehicle was offered with a range of van and truck bodies: special application and minibus variants were also available.
, Mercedes was compelled by government imposed rationalisation to manufacture the Opel Blitz
truck of its leading competitor, but the company had featured no commercial vehicle of its own below the 3 tonne level since before the war. However, during the early 1950s the success of the Volkswagen panel van
and rejuvenated Opel Blitz
persuaded Mercedes-Benz that the category was too important to be ignored.
, but the van nevertheless featured a modern "forward control" cabin, without the sort of protruding front bonnet/hood characteristic of the Opel Blitz
and larger Mercedes commercial vehicles of the time. Placing the driver at the front of the vehicle ensured a good view out and gave the vehicle a contemporary look as well as maximising load space. But the retention of the forward mounted engine left the driver sharing his cabin with the engine which occupied the floor space between the drive and his passenger, and the body designers also had to take account of a drive-shaft which connected to the rear wheels.
plant, not far from the Mercedes head office at Untertürkheim
. However, in 1958 the company acquired Auto Union
in a package of assets that included the Düsseldorf
plant where that company had built cars following the loss of its original Zwickau
plant to the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany in 1945. Mercedes progressively transferred Auto Union
car production to a new plant at Ingolstadt
and the Düsseldorf
facility became (and remains) a plant for Mercedes-Benz
commercial vehicle production. Production of the L319 transferred to Düsseldorf
in 1961.
The van was also assembled at Vitoria
in Spain.
. By this time between 120,000 and 140,000 had been produced.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
between 1955 and 1967. Larger than a standard delivery van, but smaller than a conventional light truck of the period, it was the manufacturer's first model in this class. The vehicle was offered with a range of van and truck bodies: special application and minibus variants were also available.
Background
By 1955 Daimler-Benz was well represented in the passenger car market, and also offered commercial operators an extensive range of conventional trucks. The smallest of the trucks, offered in its then current form since 1945, was the Mercedes-Benz L 3500 range. As regards smaller commercial vehicles, during the warWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Mercedes was compelled by government imposed rationalisation to manufacture the Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz was the name given to various German light and middle-weight trucks built by Opel between 1930 and 1975.During the years preceding the Second World War Opel was Germany's largest truck producer...
truck of its leading competitor, but the company had featured no commercial vehicle of its own below the 3 tonne level since before the war. However, during the early 1950s the success of the Volkswagen panel van
Volkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
and rejuvenated Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz was the name given to various German light and middle-weight trucks built by Opel between 1930 and 1975.During the years preceding the Second World War Opel was Germany's largest truck producer...
persuaded Mercedes-Benz that the category was too important to be ignored.
Launch
The van that premiered at the Frankfurt motor show in September 1955 had a gross weight of 3.6 tonnes and a maximum load capacity of 1.6 or 1.8 tonnes according to version. A wide range of body permutations included a panel van, a standard level light truck, a low level light flat-bed truck and various increasingly diverse and elaborate types of minibus. Fire-truck variants are particularly well represented among the surviving L319 to be seen in motor museums.Vehicle architecture
Mercedes did not follow the Volkswagen rear-engined configurationVolkswagen Type 2
The Volkswagen Type 2, officially known as the Transporter or Kombi informally as Bus or Camper , was a panel van introduced in 1950 by German automaker Volkswagen as its second car model – following and initially deriving from Volkswagen's first model, the Type 1 , it was given the factory...
, but the van nevertheless featured a modern "forward control" cabin, without the sort of protruding front bonnet/hood characteristic of the Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz
Opel Blitz was the name given to various German light and middle-weight trucks built by Opel between 1930 and 1975.During the years preceding the Second World War Opel was Germany's largest truck producer...
and larger Mercedes commercial vehicles of the time. Placing the driver at the front of the vehicle ensured a good view out and gave the vehicle a contemporary look as well as maximising load space. But the retention of the forward mounted engine left the driver sharing his cabin with the engine which occupied the floor space between the drive and his passenger, and the body designers also had to take account of a drive-shaft which connected to the rear wheels.
Running gear
Leaf springing and rigid axles had the merit of simplicity and development costs were also kept down by using engines directly from the company's passenger car range. The original L319s shared the 43 hp engine of the Mercedes-Benz 180D. Subsequently slightly more powerful diesel alternatives were offered along with petrol engined variants.Assembly
Initially the vans were assembled at the company's SindelfingenSindelfingen
Sindelfingen is a German town near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe that is the site of a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.-History:* 1155 First documented mention of Sindelfingen...
plant, not far from the Mercedes head office at Untertürkheim
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. However, in 1958 the company acquired Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
in a package of assets that included the Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
plant where that company had built cars following the loss of its original Zwickau
Zwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
plant to the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany in 1945. Mercedes progressively transferred Auto Union
Auto Union
Auto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
car production to a new plant at Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
and the Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
facility became (and remains) a plant for Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
commercial vehicle production. Production of the L319 transferred to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in 1961.
The van was also assembled at Vitoria
Vitoria-Gasteiz
Vitoria-Gasteiz is the capital city of the province of Álava and of the autonomous community of the Basque Country in northern Spain with a population of 235,661 people. It is the second largest Basque city...
in Spain.
Name changes
In 1963 the L 319 designation was abandoned. The vehicles were now branded as the L 405 (diesel powered) and L 407 (petrol / gasoline powered). There was also an L 406 and L 408. This was part of a wider relabelling of the company's commercial vehicle range intended, for the initiated, to identify "weight and output data" in model names.Replacement
For the 1968 model year the L319 was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz T2Mercedes-Benz T2
The Mercedes-Benz T2 is a transporter built by Daimler-Benz. The T2 is also known as the "Düsseldorf transporter", since it was built until 1996 in Düsseldorf. The third series, built from 1996 at Ludwigsfelde, is branded the Vario. Some units of the T2 are assembled by Daimler-Benz Espana S.A. in...
. By this time between 120,000 and 140,000 had been produced.