Mercedes-Benz L 319

Dieselm. OM 636 (L 319 D)

1767 cm ³ ( 319 L D)

32 kW/43 hp at 3500 rpm

The Mercedes- Benz L 319 is a pickup truck from Daimler -Benz with a gross vehicle weight of 3.6 tons. Named after its internal construction number vehicle was built from 1956 to 1968, and closed after the Second World War, the gap that was created in 1941 with the expiry of the type L 1100. The L 319 was the first as a Mercedes -Benz "Transporter" vehicle offered and was presented in 1967 by the " Düsseldorf vans " replaced (Mercedes- Benz T 2).

History and classification

Mid-1950s, Daimler -Benz both well positioned in the car as well as the truck division, with the Mercedes- Benz passenger car range for commercial use also station wagons and vans ( vans ) were included. However, the supply of pure commercial vehicles began only with the lighter Conventional Truck L 3500 and L 311 3.5 ton payload. In the VW Transporter, Ford FK 1000 Borgward B 1000/1500 and Opel Blitz covered market segment from 0.8 to 1.5 t payload was Daimler -Benz not represented.

History of the Series

The L 319 was in September 1955 at the IAA as a " quick - truck " (not to be confused with the DKW - Quick Aster ) are presented below the 7.5 - ton class. He was at first only with the diesel engine from the 180 D passenger car available, which made ​​43 hp from 1.8 liters. Later, the gasoline engine from the 180 a 1.9 liter displacement and 65 hp was available. The series was designed at 3.6 to 3.9 tonnes gross vehicle weight for a payload of 1.6 to 1.9 tons and could be ordered as a panel van, pick and deep bunk, as a chassis for external bodies as well as minibus (O 319). The vehicle was then re- designed for a vehicle of this class as a front driver with a rounded cab; closed structures such as box and bus were load-bearing, run the racks and chassis fitted with cabs on a leadframe. The engine was located forward between the seats; the drive was performed in the rear wheels. The technique with rigid axles front and rear and leaf springs was simply constructed already for that time.

Production

The production was completed early in the Daimler-Benz works in Sindelfingen and Mannheim ( bus) and was founded in 1961 in the work of Dusseldorf Auto Union postponed (Note: from 1958/59 bis 1964, the car was owned by Union for Daimler-Benz AG). In 1963, as part of a reorganization of the model names of the Daimler -Benz truck range, which should uniformly specify payload and engine performance, the L 319 to L 407 and L 319 D in L 405 renamed ( 4 t with 70 or 50 hp). With a complement of the motor program and the types L 406 and L 408 came on the market ( whose successor initially given the same names).

Market success

The most significant competitors of Mercedes -Benz L 319 were the Opel Blitz and the Hanomag Kurier. Although he was a newcomer in this segment, despite its simplistic design along its modest comfort were more than 140,000 vehicles sold. Production ended in 1967; Was succeeded by the even more successful Mercedes -Benz T 2 (" Düsseldorf vans ").