Workhorse and fun vehicle

In 1986 the U 1550 was launched as a 150 hp implement carrier with particularly high transport capacity, intended to round off the 424 series at the top. With a permissible gross vehicle weight of 10,500 kg, the vehicle was especially useful for road and winter service and for use with heavy implements. The long wheelbase of 3,250 mm provided plenty of room for large cargo beds and additional body attachments.

At IFAT, the trade fair for the municipal sector in Munich, Daimler-Benz presented a completely new range in 1987 with the light model series 407. The small, economical work machine, available in three variants, featured a more spacious cab and a new gearbox and replaced the model series 421, which had been built since 1966. The 407 model series differed externally above all in the position of the intake pipe, which was now—rather than on the right-hand side—located on the driver's side.

Remarkable was the four-cylinder OM 616 diesel engine, which, as with the original Unimog, operated on the pre-chamber system. While the 52 hp U 600 carried out its duties at 3,000 rpm, the U 650 and the high-mobility U 650 L ran at 3,500 rpm with a respectable 60 hp.

Due to the relatively weak engine power, the 407 series was used predominantly in the construction sector, industry and municipalities.

The year 1988, with a complete overhaul of the Unimog program, saw three new series introduced at once: the mid-range 417 series and the heavy 427 and 437 series.

The target group for the mid-range 417 series, in addition to industry and local authorities, now once again included agriculture. Although the 417 and 407 series were not easy to distinguish visually, the fundamental difference lay in the frame concept. While the light series used a more economical straight ladder-type frame, the mid-range series employed a ladder-type frame with offset longitudinal members. This concept, which dated back to the development of the Unimog S more than 30 years before, allowed extreme frame twist while maintaining high bending resistance, and thus provided particularly high off-road capability.

Since Daimler-Benz had launched a light and a mid-range model series with the 407 and 417, it was only logical to present a heavy model series as well. This marked the birth of the 427 model series, which followed on from the heavy-duty 424 and 425 model series built since 1976.

The main feature was a new direct-injection diesel engine, optionally with an exhaust-gas turbocharger, which from 1992 was also available with charge-air cooling. At the Gaggenau plant, the new engine was primarily aimed at reducing fuel consumption and improving emissions. The reason was that local authorities, as the main customers, required vehicles that were up to 5 dB quieter because of emission protection laws. Therefore the engine speed in the maximum output range was reduced to 2,400 rpm, which made it possible to achieve an improvement in the noise level of 3-4 dB.

The heavy 437 model series, produced from 1988 onwards, proved to be another top series. For the first time, the newly developed Unimog UG 3/65 transmission was installed in the vehicles. They were powered by a charge-air cooled OM 366 A or LA engine. The 437 series, which comprised 26 different variants, remained on the sales lists until 2002.

The fall of the Iron Curtain opened up new markets and opportunities from 1990 onwards. While smaller numbers of Unimog vehicles had already been delivered to the Eastern countries in earlier years, the true magnitude of the actual demand now became apparent: Hungary alone ordered 150 Unimog units for municipal use.

In May 1992 there was again a premiere to celebrate. The 408 and 418 model series were presented at the IAA Motor Show in Hanover. They featured a newly designed all‑steel safety cab with a level cab floor.

The U 90 of the 486 model series stood out from the crowd mainly due to its special cab with sight channel. This was a practical improvement, particularly for work with front‑mounted implements, such as those used in the municipal and agricultural sectors.

The Japanese trend of converting Unimog vehicles into "Fun-Mogs" reached Europe in 1993. Daimler-Benz spotted the market gap and designed an official Funmog based on the U 90 with 110 hp. Its interior and instruments were strongly reminiscent of a passenger car. In addition, the vehicle was finished in a blood-red metallic paint finish. Unimog connoisseurs could certainly understand this as a respectful nod to the historic oxblood red of the Boehringer era. Particularly striking were the chrome-plated, multi-piece pipe bars and cow-catcher. Equipped with a 130 dB horn, the Funmog's recognisability factor was enormous.

1994 was to be a year of anniversaries and honours. "Offroad" magazine rightly chose the Funmog as Off-roader of the Year and the 300,000th Unimog rolled off the assembly line in Gaggenau.

On the occasion of the anniversary celebrations for "One hundred years of automobile manufacturing", three hundred Unimog returned to their birthplace in Gaggenau in June 1995 as part of an impressive display drive. The Unimog is now at home in 160 countries. Its areas of operation are just as varied as its model variants. And this has become a tradition – because: the U in Unimog stands for "Universal".