Mercedes-Benz is well known for their luxury vehicles in the US, but until the arrival of Sprinter vans in select dealerships, many in this country were unaware of the name the company has made for itself over the years with commercial vehicles. From large buses to the utilitarian and supremely capable Unimog, these commercial vehicles are known for their robust nature and going about their business without much fuss.
Similar to the Unimog that Nate featured last week, this 408 Quad Cab was pressed into service with a fire department, having called a small town in Northern Germany home for some years. Now this 408 is on offer in Michigan.
Year: 1974
Model: 408 Quad Cab
Engine: 2.2 liter inline four
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Mileage: 24,856 miles
Price: $14,900
1974 Mercedes-Benz Quad Cab on Hemmings Motor News
Here is essentially a once in a lifetime opportunity to own (and operate) and authentic piece of German history. This 1974 Mercedes-Benz 408 Quad Cag was used in Duingen, Germany as a local fire truck. Duingen has a population of 2,875; therefore, all fire fighting personal is made up of volunteers. “Freiw. Feuerwehr Duingen†painted on the side of this 408 translates to Fire Department of Duingen, which is department #28 as labeled. The fire department was established in 1911 and they have been operating as volunteer fire fighters since, with similar but obviously more modern vehicles (see photos).
With a population under 3K, this truck did not get a lot of action. It just rolled over 40K kilometers, which is just under 25K miles. Most of the miles were recorded once the vehicle was imported into the U.S. as it served as a food distributor for previous owner, hence the easily removable canopy and vending slots on rear drivers side. The previous owner also claimed that there are only two other 408 Fire Trucks in the U.S., and after an in-depth search, we concluded the same. The example we have here is by far in the best condition.
This German Fire Truck features its original red paint over an industrial like gray metal interior with gray cloth bucket seats up front. It is powered by a 2.2L Inline 4-Cylinder gas engine mated to a 4-speed manual floor shifted transmission. The wood bench in the back was used for fire fighter passengers and the PTO shaft in the front was used to power a water pump from the engine to spray water on the flames. The ladder and rack are all intact and the blue warning lights/European siren functions properly. Other features include a working FM radio, trailer hitch, two-position locking rear doors, full spare tire, temperature control, push-button ignition, and comes with original manual (all in German) and two sets of keys. All lights and electrical system function as intended.
This is an excellent collector piece or another food vendor’s dream. Either way, it’s a great deal on an extremely unique and head-turning historic German automobile.
The asking price certainly seems like a lot of metal for the money, and one could imagine that you could use this truck for a variety of purposes, from camping to a race team chase vehicle. You wouldn’t get to the track in a hurry, but you’d surely cause a stir when you hit the pit lane. This bright red truck is hard to miss and you’d certainly divert attention away from some of the competition vehicles on the grid.
-Paul
