The Unimog, which was conceived after WWII by Albert Friedrich and Heinrich Rößler to be used in agriculture, was first produced in 1948. In 1951, Mercedes Benz took over the manufacturing and it is still in production today by Daimler AG. The Unimog has a unique chassis and axle design which allows it to easily traverse the roughest terrain. Since it also has front and rear wheels of the same size, it is able to drive on the highway at higher speeds than a tractor. In addition to agriculture, this versatile vehicle has been used in everything from military, fire-fighting, construction and snow removal applications.
The Tomica Unimog was first released in 1978. Like all Tomica models, it is a faithful representation (this one in 1/70 scale) with lots of nice details – notice the spare tire tucked under the side. This example, another of my scores from Lamont’s Childhood Collection, is a little weathered, but still a fun find.
Tomica | 1978 | F41 | Unimog | yellow-orange with black plastic fenders, unpainted metal base | 1/70 | Japan | treaded black tires with chrome plastic hubs
Click here to compare to the Hot Wheels Unimog casting, which was introduced in 1991. Click here to compare to the Matchbox Unimog, which was first released in 1967.
Click here to see the Unimog on the 1978 page of the online Tomica History Museum.
The Race Case Etc. 