Mercedes-Benz Pontonobilia
UNIMOG / LKW (Truck) / Bus

Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG Type U411, tinplate.  Made in Germany by Tipp & Co.  TCO (Tipp & Co.). Note the original packaging and the location for the key just ahead of the rear wheel. For more on the history and development of the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG, visit the UNIMOG Overview (1953-1962) page.

Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG Type U411, tinplate.  Made in Germany by Tipp & Co.  TCO (Tipp & Co.) was one of the largest manufacturers of tin toys in Nürnberg, Germany after 1922.  December 5, 2004.

Side view of Tipp & Co. Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG Type U411.

Tipping Lorry - orange, red hubs, removable plastic cab roof, clear plastic fold-down windscreen, levers in cab operate motor and tipping mechanism, hinged rear tailboard, with key.

Dinky (England) model 821. 1:43 scale die cast UNIMOG Type 404S troop carrier

Dinky (England) model number 821. In 1973, Dinky renumbered this model as 804. There is not much difference between this Dinky model and model number 804 (shown below). The difference may only be the country of manufacture. A 1:43 scale die cast replica of the Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG Type 404S. This appears to be a troop carrier similar to the ones used by the Swiss Army. The Type 404S was a Ponton era UNIMOG. The actual UNIMOG Type 404S was made by Daimler-Benz from 1956 to 1980.

Dinky (France) model 804. 1:43 scale die cast UNIMOG Type 404S troop carrier

Dinky (France) model 567.
1:43 scale die cast UNIMOG Type 404S troop carrier with snow plow.

Ponton era LKW (Lastkraftwagen = truck) made by Kellerman (Germany). This large scale model represents one of the many LP-series LKWs that were made by Daimler-Benz during the 1953-1962 time frame.  Kellerman was founded in Nuremberg in 1910 and went out of business in 1979. Kellerman is sometimes referred to by the name, "CKO" or "CKO Toys" because of their trade mark logo.

The Kellerman "CKO" trade mark logo is embossed on the base plate. Also note the "D.B.G.M." (Deutsches Bundes Gebrauchs).

Kellerman (Germany) tinplate Mercedes-Benz "LKW" (truck) made in the 1950s. This one is suffering from what looks like some normal wear and tear.  The truck is in "played with" condition, and so it should be.  These toys were never bought as investments, they were given to young lads to enjoy!  Maybe this toy helped launch a career in construction, engineering, mechanical repair, or even toy design. One thing is for sure. This model will get you hooked on Mercedes-Benz trucks.

Update: I originally thought this model was perhaps 1:18 scale but I saw the real thing for sale in Macungie, Pennsylvania on August 6, 2005 and it was much smaller. In actual fact, it is about 1:43 scale.

Kellerman model number 410. Mercedes-Benz fire truck with rotating extension ladder. Red with plated decking and extension ladder and friction drive. Approximately 1:43 scale.

Kellerman model number 381, Mercedes-Benz Coach. Mint condition with original packaging. As previously mentioned on this page, a model such as this can be worth quite a bit when the scarcity is factored into the equation. This model has a lot going for it. Note the Kellerman trade mark "CKO" logo on the end of the box.

This is obviously not a Ponton model, but it is a passenger vehicle made by Mercedes-Benz during the Ponton era. This is a Bandai (Japan) tinplate model of the Type O 319 bus. Model number 720 in the Bandai tinplate series. The O is for Oël Motor (diesel). Roughly 1:18 scale.

This view accentuates the sliding sunroof made for the passengers on their journey to...Lilliput, perhaps.  The first Type O 319 minibus was presented by Daimler-Benz in 1956.

Model number 541 (1:43 scale) in the Dinky series (made in France). Modeled after the Mercedes-Benz Type 319 utility van and passenger bus. The real Type 319 was made from 1956 until into the early 1960s which includes it in the Ponton era. The window configuration of this mini bus indicates its primary function was to carry passengers. They were common as airport shuttles at the time. This model includes a suspension, windows and interior fittings. Photo courtesy: Jeff Miller

Another photo of the Dinky number 541 model with the original box.

The value of the model increases a great deal when it is in mint condition and includes the original packaging. Note the dual rear wheels.

A Mercedes-Benz LKW (articulated tractor-trailer) of the Ponton era.  This is model #742 in the Schuco Piccolo range.  This tiny (1:90 scale) solid die cast truck makes a nice addition to any scale model collection.  Photo courtesy: Jeff Miller / June 5, 2004.

Model number 740 in the Schuco Piccolo (1:90 scale) series. A Ponton era Mercedes-Benz coach.  The prototype for this model may have been the Type O 321 "Omnibus."

Color variation on the Schuco Piccolo number 740 Mercedes-Benz coach.

Heras package number 2070, "Modellstrassenfahrzeuge." 

Notice the large three pointed star in the center of the grille on the illustration.  Neither the prototype (Mercedes-Benz Type O 6600 H "Omnibus") or the Heras model includes this detail.

This bus is at the center of the Heras package number 2070, "Modellstrassenfahrzeuge."  It includes this motorized, 1:87 scale Mercedes-Benz coach and 8 sections of track.  A nice detail is the luggage roof rack at the rear.  The base plate reads, "HERAS Made in Germany Nr. 1070."

Mercedes-Benz Type O 6600 H "Omnibus"

Mercedes-Benz Type O 6600 H "Omnibus"

The center of the grille on the prototype features a single fog light. The traditional three-pointed star is located higher up, under the windshield. 

The Mercedes-Benz Type O 6600 H used a pioneering design which placed the engine in the rear of the bus.  This was a more efficient use of space and reduced the noise level in the interior.

This Matchbox die cast metal toy was made in 1965 by Lesney, in England. It is number 68, "Mercedes Coach." The turquoise color variation (known as "green" in the Matchbox reference guides) is rare and boosts the value of this particular model by 10 X over the later orange color variation. Approximate scale: 1:64.

The box alone (illustrating the green Matchbox "Mercedes Coach") can be worth $20-$50 depending on condition and who is in the market.

Lesney (England) Matchbox model number 68 (of 75) "Mercedes Coach."  The orange color variation is quite common.  The original Matchbox model (with green paint) was released by Lesney in 1965.  

Mercedes-Benz Type O 321 H "Omnibus"

I believe that the prototype for Matchbox model 68 may have been the Mercedes-Benz Type O 321 H "Omnibus." The O 321 H was first produced in 1954 by Daimler-Benz in Mannheim. I am not yet 100% certain which full-scale bus the Matchbox model was made to represent, but by 1965, when Lesney first released the Matchbox model, Daimler-Benz was already using a more modern (angular) grille and body design on their busses, such as the Type O 302, which featured rectangular head lights.  Length of the Matchbox toy is 73 mm. The Type O 321 H bus was 9.2 m.  So the scale of the Matchbox is approximately 1:64.  From Latin, "Omnibus" can be translated to: "transport for all." The Type O 321 H (where O = Oelmotor = diesel and H = heck = rear = rear engine) was the first Mercedes-Benz bus to have a self supporting (frameless) body.

Mercedes-Benz Type O321H Coach

It also has a rear engine and hence a flat front. As a result, the interior is more spacious, comfortable and quiet because you are constantly "driving away from" the engine noise.  Previously, busses were designed from existing truck platforms which resulted in a louder, less comfortable ride. The O 321 H was designed from the outset as a comfortable riding coach including a custom suspension, which, according to one brochure of the day allowed passengers to read a newspaper while in transit, an activity that would not have been possible with the earlier truck suspensions. The original O 321 H had a 5.1 liter, 110 hp diesel engine.  Engine displacement and power were increased later, but not by much. Almost 30,000 units were sold until 1964.  It was very popular in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America. Reference: Mercedes-Benz Classic magazine. Issue: 1-2003. If any readers have more specific information about which bus may have been used to create the Matchbox toy, please contact editor@mbzponton.org.

Corgi (England) model number 409, "UNIMOG Rear Dumper."  A 1:43 scale die cast model of a Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG "tipper" (dump truck). Although this model was made by Corgi from 1971 to 1975, which was several years after the 1953-1962 Ponton era, the photo serves to illustrate how a model car collection can keep growing.  Original, pre-modified self-portrait of the editor taken in December, 1993.