4×4S.ORGTHE REGISTRY BASE MODEL · 1955–80
BASE MODELGermany

Unimog 404 S (1955–80)

The military Unimog: the 404 S of 1955–80 with the 2.2 and 2.3-litre M180 petrol six of the Mercedes saloons, a 2,900 mm wheelbase, portal axles and coil springs, 64,242 built — the standard 1.5-tonne truck of the Bundeswehr, the French and Swiss armies and many others, and the basis of fire engines, radio trucks and expedition vehicles.

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Sources & evidence
Unimog 404 S (1955–80) — Unimog S 404, produced 64,242 times from 1955 to 1980. License plate changedLothar Spurzem · CC BY-SA 2.0 de ↗
MODEL LINEUnimogBUILT BYMercedes-Benz (Daimler-Benz)PRODUCED1955–80PRODUCTION64,242LAYOUT4 wheels · 114″

The record

Daimler-Benz developed the 404 for the French Army’s 1953 requirement and the new Bundeswehr, with a petrol six for its power and quietness; it was built at Gaggenau from 1955 to 1980 and served in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Argentina, Indonesia and beyond as troop carrier, ambulance, radio and fire vehicle. Surplus 404s are the classic expedition Unimog.

Specification

MANUFACTURED1955–80
ENGINE2.2 and 2.3-litre M180 petrol six, 80–82 hp
PRODUCTION RUN64,242
COUNTRY OF ORIGINGermany
STATUSended 1980; succeeded by the 435/U 1300 L
RECORD KINDBase model
MODEL LINEUnimog
FAMILYUnimog
WHEELS4
NOMINAL WHEELBASE114″
BODY STYLECab with cargo body
VARIANTS2

Catalogue fields describe the vehicle's structure and body as this registry records it. They are not certified factory measurements, and no performance figures are published here.

Body styles & colours

Body style

Factory colours

  • Unimog green
  • Bronze Green (Bundeswehr)

Codes on hover. Hex values are representative approximations of period paint unless a source states a measured value.

AI rendering impression

An AI rendering impression starts from a 3D model of this vehicle, which an image model then paints into a scene. It is an artist's impression of the type, made to give a feel for the vehicle in its element — not a photograph, and not a record of any particular vehicle.

Proportions, fittings, markings, colours and the setting can all drift from the original in the process. For the vehicle's actual details, rely on the specification, the photographs and the cited sources on this page.

Sources

  1. 1Unimog 404 ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-22SOURCE
  2. 2Unimog ↗Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-22SOURCE

Registry record updated 2026-09-22 · status: researched