Mercedes-Benz N1300

Last updated
Mercedes-Benz N 1300
Mercedes-Benz N1300.jpg
Overview
ManufacturerIMOSA (1963–1972)
MEVOSA (1972–1980) [1]
Also called
  • Mercedes-Benz N 1000
  • Auto-Union F1000
  • Auto Union-DKW Schnellaster
  • DKW F1000
Production1963–1980
Assembly Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Body and chassis
Class Light commercial vehicle
Body style panel van, minibus, flatbed
Layout FWD layout
Powertrain
Engine
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,500 mm (98.4 in)
Length4,395 mm (173.0 in)
Height1,950 mm (76.8 in)
Curb weight 1,250–1,450 kg (2,760–3,200 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor DKW F89 L
Successor Mercedes-Benz MB100

The Mercedes-Benz N1300 is a light commercial vehicle designed and manufactured by the Spanish subsidiary IMOSA (Industrias del Motor SA) based in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country, north of Spain. Its body had its roots in the Fissore-designed DKW F1000 L (or DKW-IMOSA F1000) van of 1963.

Contents

DKW F 1000

DKW F 1000, rear view SpanishDKWvanrear.jpg
DKW F 1000, rear view

The original Auto Union F 1000-L was presented in 1963. It was also marketed as a DKW, sometimes with both badges, and later also as the IMOSA-DKW. It was originally available in three different versions: cargo van, passenger van with windows, and chassis with cab. A variety of other bodystyles also appeared over the years, including a double-cab truck and a thirteen-seat microbus. The name was derived from the maximum load permitted: 1,000 kilos plus a driver. The maximum speed in optimal conditions was 100 km/h. The DKW F 1000 was the modern successor of the DKW F89 L and used the Auto Union 1000's 40 PS (29 kW) 1-liter two-stroke three-cylinder engine, mounted between the front seats and driving the front wheels. The four-speed manual transmission had an unsynchronized first gear. [2]

In 1964 the DKW F 1000-D was introduced, with a 1.8-liter Mercedes-Benz diesel four-cylinder engine built by ENMASA in Barcelona (the earliest cars received engines imported from Germany). The OM636 engine produces 43 PS (32 kW) DIN at 3500 rpm according to period brochures. [3] The diesels, in need of additional cooling, received an additional grille, replacing the vented metal pressing above the low original design with its broad horizontal bands. The diesel, while much more economical in operation, cost about fifty percent more than the two-stroke design. [4]

In 1965 the heavier-duty F1500-D (diesel only) was introduced. In 1966 all models received a minor facelift, with a double, trapezoidal mesh grille now fitted to the two-strokes as well as diesels. 1968 was the last year that the two-stroke engine was available, leaving only diesels for the remainder of the production. A wide variety of bodystyles were developed as production continued, including a double-cab pickup, a beverage delivery vehicle, a butane gas canister transporter, high-roofed models, an ambulance and others. The F 1000 dominated the marketplace, with a 54% market share over the 12 years it was built, reaching seventy percent in some years. [2] Around 120,000 were built of all F 1000 types. [4] The DKW F 1000 was briefly exported back to Germany as the "Auto Union-DKW Schnellaster", but this ended in 1965 after Volkswagen's 1964 acquisition of Auto Union, the company that built DKWs.

Company changes

Mercedes-Benz, who had owned Auto Union since 1958, ended up retaining the Spanish subsidiary (as well as Auto Union's main commercial vehicle plant in Düsseldorf) after the Volkswagen takeover. [5] After the sale of Auto Union, Volkswagen assumed Mercedes-Benz' 25 percent share in IMOSA. Volkswagen intended to build 125,000 passenger cars annually in Spain, but the proposal was rejected by the Spanish government in 1966. [6] INI, Spain's governmental industrial holding company, opposed the passenger car plans in order to protect the SEAT company. Nonetheless, Volkswagen went on to increase their stake in IMOSA to 75 percent by 1969. Daimler-Benz, meanwhile, kept their interest in engine manufacturers ENMASA - which was merged with Mercedes' Madrid-based distributor IDASA to form a new company called CISPALSA (Compañia Hispano Alemana de Productos Mercedes-Benz, S.A.) in February 1969. [7] Neither of the two Spanish-German subsidiaries, however, was very successful. In June 1972 the two German manufacturers merged their operations into a new company called MEVOSA (Compañía Hispano Alemana de Productos Mercedes-Benz y Volkswagen, S.A., the "German-Spanish Company for Manufacturing Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Products"), of which each held a 26.8% share. Volkswagen pulled out of the Spanish operation in November 1976, and Mercedes-Benz took a 42.7 percent interest in MEVOSA. [8]

Mercedes-Benz N 1000/N 1300

Rear view of Mercedes-Benz N 1300 Mercedes n1300.jpg
Rear view of Mercedes-Benz N 1300

Anticipating Volkswagen's absence, the F1000 was redesigned and renamed the Mercedes-Benz N 1000 in 1975. This was only available with the 1.8-liter diesel engine as the two-stroke had been discontinued earlier. The bodywork was modified at the front and rear, with a wider lower grille with the three-pointed star and new, larger, upright taillights similar to those used on the Volkswagen Type 2. The dashboard was redesigned, fully upholstered and with a new plastic steering wheel. The four-speed transmission was now fully synchronized, while the maximum power of the OM636 engine was increased to 47 PS (35 kW) at 3500 rpm. [9]

From 1976 there was also the N 1300 with a 1,300 kg (2,866 lb) payload and the larger, 2-liter OM615 Mercedes-Benz diesel engine. In September 1980 the N 1300 was succeeded by the rebodied Mercedes-Benz MB100 and MB130, which later was to become the first vehicle in this series to be offered in Northern Europe. [6] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi</span> German automotive manufacturer

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW</span> German car and motorcycle marque, now Audi

DKW was a German car- and motorcycle-marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto Union in 1932 and thus became an ancestor of the modern-day Audi company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auto Union</span> German automobile manufacturer

Auto Union AG was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony. It is the immediate predecessor of Audi as it is known today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz Sprinter</span> Light commercial vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light commercial vehicle (van) built by Mercedes-Benz Group AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a large van, chassis cab, minibus, and pickup truck. In the past, the Sprinter had been sold under the Mercedes-Benz, Dodge, and Freightliner nameplates. In the U.S., it was built from complete knock down (CKD) kits by Freightliner. Re-badged and re-engined Sprinters were also sold by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles as the Volkswagen LT and the Volkswagen Crafter. They are now primarily marketed by Mercedes-Benz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz W120/W121</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz W120 and Mercedes-Benz W121 are technically similar inline-four cylinder sedans made by Daimler-Benz. The W120 was first introduced by Mercedes-Benz in 1953. Powered initially by the company's existing 1.8 liter M136 engine, it was sold as the Mercedes-Benz 180 through 1962. From 1954, Mercedes-Benz also offered the W120 with a diesel engine as the Mercedes-Benz 180 D. The Mercedes-Benz W121 was introduced as the Mercedes-Benz 190 in 1956, powered by a 1.9 liter M121 engine. From 1958, the W121 was also offered with an OM621 engine, sold as the Mercedes-Benz 190 D through 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horch</span> Defunct German car brand

Horch was a German car manufacturer, which traced its roots to several companies founded in the very late 19th and early 20th century by August Horch.

The Mercedes-Benz MB100 is a light commercial cabover van (M) made by Mercedes-Benz España S.A. from 1981 to 1996 at their Vitoria-Gasteiz factory in northern Spain. The third generation model was manufactured by SsangYong alongside the rebadged SsangYong version from 1995 to December 2003 in South Korea, with another rebadged variant manufactured by Maxus of SAIC Motor from 2009 to 2014 in China.

BlueTEC is Mercedes-Benz Group's marketing name for engines equipped with advanced NOx reducing technology for vehicle emissions control in diesel-powered vehicles. The technology in BlueTec vehicles includes a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system that uses diesel exhaust fluid, and a system of NOx adsorbers the automaker calls DeNOx, which uses an oxidizing catalytic converter and diesel particulate filter combined with other NOx reducing systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz TN</span> Motor vehicle

In 1977 Daimler-Benz introduced a new van/truck, called Mercedes-Benz T1 internally. Other designations were series TN / T1N and Bremer Transporter, since the vehicle was built in the Transporter-Plant in Bremen, Germany, first. In the years 1983/1984 production went - piece by piece - to the Transporter-Plant-Düsseldorf. The internal chassis-designations are: 601, 602 and 611.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Crafter</span> Van manufactured by Volkswagen

The Volkswagen Crafter, introduced in 2006, is the largest three- to five-ton van produced and sold by the German automaker Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Crafter officially replaced the Volkswagen Transporter LT that was launched in 1975, although it is known as the LT3, its production plant code.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW Schnellaster</span> Van produced by DKW from 1949 to 1962

The DKW Schnellaster, also known as the DKW F89 L, was a van produced by DKW from 1949 to 1962. Alongside the DKW F89 passenger car, it was the first vehicle to be manufactured by the new Auto Union conglomerate in Ingolstadt following the re-establishment of the business in West Germany. The model name Schnellaster translates from German to English as Rapid Transporter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tempo (automobile)</span> Automobile manufacturer in Germany

Tempo, was a German automobile manufacturer based in Hamburg. The company was founded by Oscar Vidal in 1924.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DKW Junior</span> Motor vehicle

The DKW Junior is a small front wheel drive saloon manufactured by Auto Union AG. The car received a positive reaction when first exhibited, initially badged as the DKW 600, at the Frankfurt Motor Show in March 1957. The ‘Junior’ name was given to the DKW 750 in 1959 when the car went into volume production, but failed to survive an upgrade in January 1963, after which the car was known as the DKW F12. In addition to the saloon, a pretty ‘F12 Roadster’ was produced in limited numbers.

Mercedes-Benz, commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG is headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Mercedes-Benz AG produces consumer luxury vehicles and light commercial vehicles badged as Mercedes-Benz. From November 2019 onwards, Mercedes-Benz-badged heavy commercial vehicles are managed by Daimler Truck, a former part of the Mercedes-Benz Group turned into an independent company in late 2021. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz was the largest brand of premium vehicles in the world, having sold 2.31 million passenger cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Automotive industry in Germany</span> Overview of the automotive industry in Germany

The automotive industry in Germany is one of the largest employers in the world, with a labor force of over 857,336 (2016) working in the industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz GLC</span> Compact luxury crossover SUV

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a compact luxury crossover SUV introduced in 2015 for the 2016 model year that replaced the GLK-Class. According to Mercedes-Benz, it is the SUV equivalent to the C-Class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz L 319</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercedes-Benz L 319 is a light commercial vehicle built by Mercedes-Benz between 1955 and 1968. Larger than a standard delivery van, but smaller than a conventional light truck of the period, it was the manufacturer's first model in this class. The vehicle was offered with a range of van and truck bodies. Special application and minibus variants were also available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrozzeria Fissore</span> Italian builder of coaches

Carrozzeria Fissore was an Italian coachbuilder located in Savigliano, near Turin (Piedmont).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz OM636 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

The Mercedes-Benz OM636 is a diesel engine that was produced by Daimler-Benz from 1948 until 1990. Being the successor to the OM138, the OM636 has been used both as a passenger car engine and as an industrial engine. It saw its first use in the Boehringer Unimog in 1948, prior to its official introduction in the 1949 Mercedes-Benz W136. Throughout the 1950s, the OM636 was widely used in the Mercedes-Benz W120. In 1958, it was succeeded by the OM621 passenger car engine. However, after the introduction of the OM621, the OM636 was kept in production for industrial vehicles such as small lorries, boats, and combine harvesters, until 1990.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (MBSA) is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group that manufactures passenger cars and commercial vehicles in South Africa.

References

  1. "Chronik 1971 - 1980". Mercedes-Benz Classic Wiki. Daimler AG. 2009-07-22. Archived from the original on 2016-04-04.
  2. 1 2 Reyes, Ginés de los (2019-11-18). "Coche del Día: DKW F1000". Espíritu Racer (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2020-06-17.
  3. ...ahora, también en versión Diesel [...now, also in a Diesel version] (brochure) (in Spanish), IMOSA - Industrial del Motor S.A., 1964, archived from the original on 2016-06-16 via Pegasoesmicamión
  4. 1 2 "Galeria: IMOSA-DKW". Anguera Transports S.A. (in Spanish). Barcelona, Spain. Archived from the original on 2020-01-29.
  5. Lingner, Heinrich (2021-05-09). "Ein Transporter nicht nur für Hähnchen-Griller" [A Transporter not only for chicken grillers]. Auto Motor und Sport, Youngtimer (in German). Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH & Co.KG. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12.
  6. 1 2 Mendizabal, González de Langarica. "Mercedes-Benz España - Factoría de Vitoria" [Vitoria Plant]. Auñamendi Eusko Entziklopedia (in Spanish). Eusko Ikaskuntza. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07.
  7. "Chronik 1961 - 1970". Mercedes-Benz Classic Wiki. Daimler AG. 2009-07-22. Archived from the original on 2016-06-18.
  8. "October 1976: Daimler-Benz increases holding in Spain". M@RS – The Digital Archives of Mercedes-Benz Classic. Mercedes-Benz AG. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14.
  9. "La Nueva Furgoneta Mercedes N-1000" [The new Mercedes N-1000 light commercial vehicle]. Técnica Mecánica (in Spanish). 1975. p. 656. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13 via Pegasoesmicamión.
  10. "September 1980: New van models from Spain". M@RS – The Digital Archives of Mercedes-Benz Classic. Mercedes-Benz AG. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14.