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Matchbox Power of the Press 1:43 1932 Mercedes Benz L5 - Berliner Morgenpost
Metal Diecast.
The first Mercedes-Benz truck range, presented at the 1926 Berlin Motor Show (October) and at the 1927 International Motor Show for Trucks and Special Vehicles in Cologne (May) included three basic models with the payloads of 1.5, 2.5 and 5 tons. Each model was available with a standard and a low-frame chassis. Low chassis made sense especially that time to make easier loading and unloading of the vehicle. Also the low chassis has been used to build the buses. The models with the standard chassis were L1, L2 and L5 (L stood for Lastwagen, German word for a truck, and the digit stood for the rated payload in tons). The models with the low chassis were N1, N2 and NJ5/N5 (N stood for Niederwagen, German word means a low car). The trucks were equipped with the 4 cylinders petrol engines (M14, M2 and M5), developing 45HP, 55HP and 70 HP. Mercedes-Benz L1 and L2 were the new models, but Mercedes-Benz L5 truck was basically a continuation of famous Benz 5CN truck, which was developed before the merge of Benz & Cie and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft companies.
In 1927 Mercedes-Benz presented its first diesel engine (OM5), which immediately became a sensation. It was the world's first six-cylinder diesel engine, installed on the commercial vehicle. Also from 1927 Mercedes-Benz offered the more powerful 6 cylinders petrol engines (M16, M26 and M36) developing 50HP, 70HP and 100 HP. Four cylinders engines were discontinued only one year later. Therefore, in 1927–1928 most of the trucks from the series L1, L2, L5 were available with 4 or 6 cylinder engines. To distinguish that, 6 cylinders versions of the trucks were referred sometimes as, for example, L1/6 or N2/6.
In 1927–1928 Mercedes-Benz also expanded the range of the truck models, adding the small model L3/4 with the payload of 750 kg (3/4 ton), which was developed from the passenger car Typ 200 Nürnberg, and a heavy three axis model N56 with the payload 7-9 tons. The payloads of L1 and L2 models was increased with the new 6 cylinder engines from 1.5 to 1.75 tons (model L1/N1) and from 2.5 to 3.0-4.0 tons (model L2/N2). To fill the newly formed gap between L1 and L2 models, Mercedes-Benz offered new 2.5 tons model L45/N46 and (a bit later) 2.75/3.0 tons model L57/N58.