Fire Engines Photos

Although they are really expensive Unimogs are truly amazing when it comes to off road performance. I once had the privilege of attending a cross country off road demonstration driving day. After a few (very necessary) familiarization runs as a passenger - I got to drive some of them up and down extreme grades, through deep mud and water, on loose gravel and deep sand and not least over a rock strewn hillside. Once you know what they can do they are relatively easy to drive, and they really will go almost anywhere there is room for them.

The German name is an abbreviation for the words “ universal possibilities” and to my mind it is entirely justified!

Not surprisingly, they are to be found with fire services in many countries all over the World. Among the examples on this site there are both structural and brush pumpers, rescues, hose layers, special cross country relay pumpers, command units and line rescue trucks.



Added by Rob Johnson on 29 July 2022.

The 'Unimog' name comes from the German for 'Universal Motorised Machine' and the first production model, the U25 (70200 build-series), which first appeared in 1948 was designed not as a truck per se but as an agricultural 'road tractor'! This new vehicle is a U5023 with the 231bhp 4-cyl OM-934 (Blue Tec 6 generation)turbo-diesel engine in the 437.4 UHE build-series & UHE translates as Unimog, high cross-country mobility, evolution - which describes its capabilities very well indeed!

Added by G-TOMM on 29 June 2023.

Thank you. The explanation I was given by a German firefighter was that it was an abbreviated translation of “universal moglichkeiten”, but of course universal “motor great” is historically accurate! Full marks to him for creativity, though, as it is a rather good and very accurate description of the Mog. Full marks to Benz too, for a design which is in use in hundreds of fire, military and other organizations and companies in almost every country in the World…

Added by Rob Johnson on 30 June 2023.

BTW I do know the German spelling is “Geraet”, but my computer dislikes the use of non- English words, and automatically spells what it thinks are errors as known English words. It also lacks an Umlaut! Hence the “moeglichkeit” quote.

Added by Rob Johnson on 30 June 2023.

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