Agriculture icon

No question about it: the MB-trac has a cult following. On YouTube you can find countless old promotional films where not only fans of agricultural technology wax lyrical. In the comments, memories of the first drive are shared, the fascination for the technology is exchanged — and people regret that “the best tractor there is” is no longer being built. Dedicated websites and forums have even been created by staunch followers to bring together the large community around the tractor icon.

The MB-trac was Mercedes-Benz's answer to the growing demand for versatile, high-performance tractors in the late 1960s. After the prototype of the farm tractor was developed in Gaggenau in Baden in 1969, Daimler-Benz presented the finished product for the first time in 1972 at the annual exhibition of the German Agricultural Society in Hanover. On 1 July 1973, the MB-trac finally entered series production.

The kinship with the Unimog is no coincidence: product promoter Gustav Krettenauer deliberately drew on proven components from the U 406 to bring the MB-trac to market as an affordable competitor despite low production volumes. At the same time, the uniformity of the so-called assemblies ensured smooth processes for repairs and customer support.

This strategy paid off: over the years a wide range of MB-trac models with different engines and equipment was produced to meet diverse requirements. From the MB-trac 65/70, which is used for lighter tasks, to the 180 hp MB-trac 1800 Intercooler, which handles heavy-duty towing work. Over time the MB-trac was used not only in agriculture but also, for example, in municipal road construction, forestry and winter services.

The new innovation stood out from the competition not only due to the standard all-wheel drive and the four same-sized wheels that the MB-trac borrowed from its Unimog sibling. Above all, it was the technical details of the tractor that customers found most impressive.

Since the characteristically boxy cab, initially painted gravel grey and later painted light yellow and green, was positioned between the axles, MB-trac owners had three attachment spaces available at the front, on the body and at the rear. This was supplemented by the option to connect front and rear hydraulics, for attachment of ploughs, tedders or straw balers.

Even though the MB-trac is celebrated as unique in technically minded circles because of its engine and transmission performance, Daimler discontinued production in 1991 owing to the unfavourable dynamics of the market. That makes the tractor a highly sought-after collector’s item today – many of the cult tractors are still in use. It is not uncommon for dozens of examples to stand in neat rows when the community gathers at meetings in the Allgäu, in Lower Bavaria, in Nordhorn in Lower Saxony or at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau. The latter even devoted a special exhibition to the MB-trac in 2023.

For the cult tractor marks the highlight of an impressive piece of automotive history that Daimler Truck AG can look back on. The Unimog Museum’s Bergmann tractor from Gaggenau from 1906 not only shows Germany’s oldest tractor, but, with the Benz-Sendling engine, also the world’s first tractor diesel engine. The Daimler-Benz OE agricultural tractor from 1928, also on display, serves as another predecessor of the MB-trac and once again testifies to Daimler Truck AG’s rich company history.

Just as the first MB-trac once inherited essential elements from the Unimog, many valuable features of the MB-trac are preserved in the modern implement carrier. These include, for example, the high-speed capabilities, the platform behind the cab, and the portal axles that provide high ground clearance.

The Unimog implement carrier is, on the one hand, a close relative of the cult MB-trac and, on the other hand, covers a range of performance that meets the demands of modern agriculture. By combining powerful working equipment with a cost-efficient means of transport, the implement carrier brings the concept back to the original, which arguably enjoys even greater cult status than the MB-trac: the Unimog itself.