WHAT IS UNIMOG | SPECIFICATION "UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät", meaning "universal motor machine/equipment") is a series of trucks from Daimler-Benz designed shortly after WWII, originally to be used as slow-moving tractors for Germany's turnip harvest.
They feature very high ground clearance — greater than the Humvee — made possible by portal gears that allow the axles and transmission to be higher than the tires' centers. Unimogs also feature a flexible frame that allows the tires a wide range of vertical movement to allow the truck to comfortably drive over extremely uneven terrain, even meter-high boulders.
Unimogs have been used by many different militaries, including the German and Swiss armies. They are also used extensively by the South African National Defence Force and the New Zealand Army.
One of the more popular Unimog models with the largest single design production run is the Unimog 404, produced in troop carrier and radio box variants and powered by a 2 liter waterproofed Mercedes-Benz petrol engine that produced as much as 80 horsepower (60 kW) in the most common versions of this model.
All other Unimog models are driven by a diesel powerplant varying from 80 horsepower to upwards of 280 horsepower (205 kW). New Unimogs can be purchased on all major continents, however North American models are officially limited to the UGN series sold through Freightliner dealerships.
