A few days ago we alreadt reported you about the celebration of the Unimog's jubilee. Daimler with LEGO have announced the largest scale Unimog model, ever created by LEGO. And now we have even more interesting news. The unit Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks (MBS), which includes the product ranges Unimog, Econic and Zetros, presented a spectacular design concept on the occasion of the ceremony "60 Years Mercedes-Benz Unimog" on 3 June 2011 at the Daimler plant in Wörth. It has an impressive, dynamic and extremely expressive "face" corresponding to the future form language of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle design. "We have taken the Unimog-DNA with its unique concept features to 100 percent into consideration when creating this design concept," says Bertrand Janssen from the Daimler department for commercial vehicle design. "The result is a complete success. At Mercedes Benz Special Trucks we decided to construct a design concept because we are of the opinion that such a vehicle will act as a bridge between the progressive strength of self-renewal that has distinguished the Unimog programme for 60 years and the future design of the coming generations of products."
The design concept is based on the Unimog U 5000 chassis with its outstanding off-road capabilities. The traditional and well-known unique selling-point of the Unimog, its coil springs, are painted red in the concept vehicle, whereas Bertrand Janssen and his team have let its hulk of a bonnet with its typical Mercedes-Benz line and the mudguards shine out in a fresh green. When selecting the colours used, the designers in Bertrand Janssen's team were inspired by an unusual amphibian, the poison dart frog: Just like the Unimog it is also extremely mobile both in water and on land. And furthermore in this point it is once more the link between past and future as green was the colour of the very first Unimog and numerous follow-up generations of the vehicle. The headlights are like stage lights, which focus the beam of light. The clearly visible, sweeping lines of the frame have been finished with high-grade trims cut from aluminium blocks. The four same-size wheels make a strong optical impression with their five star alu-rim design.
