1985 saw an emphatic win for Daimler Benz with the light-middle weight Mercedes-Benz LN2 range impressing the 13 Truck of the Year (IToY) judges with the versatility of its modular design.
Scoring a total of 71 votes, the little Mercedes won by the largest margin yet seen in the competition, knocking the Iveco Turbostar into second place with 49 votes, and Leyland’s Roadrunner into third with 19.
The runners-up were regarded as worthy designs, but essentially “one-class” vehicles, whereas the LN2 was a distinctly multi-class, multi-model range with a huge appeal across a range of European transport operations from 6.5 to 13 tonnes in rigid form, all the way up to 21 tonnes gross train weight.
While the Ford Cargo had offered a similar proposition in 1982, the Mercedes was wisely conceived as lightweight truck without venturing into the heavy class where Mercedes trucks had its distinct identity.
The LN2’s predecessor – the LP – had been a market leader in its class in Germany despite its origins in the mid-1960s, but its set-forward-axle imposed weight limitations that would hinder its development, and in truth the driving characteristics and its non-tilt cab had become antiquated.
The Mercedes engineers intended the LN2 to be a very high-quality grade of vehicle, rather than a technological marvel in its own right, and the design brief was to produce the safest, most durable, high-quality truck for the top of the lightweight sector and to develop that concept down to the lowest tonnages in the range.
Therefore, the new cab had a sleeper option and big-truck style, comfort and finish, and a full air-braking system replaced the previous air-over-hydraulic arrangement. Power steering was offered throughout the range and twin parabolic front springs with twin leaf and helpers at the rear gave excellent handling and ease of driving. Air suspension and ABS was also available.
Turbocharged and intercooled motors were also introduced as part of a major redesign of the engine range, and the LN2 spanned a total of 418 basic models at its launch. These included 90hp to 201hp engines, 5- to 12-speed transmissions and automatic options to give European operators everything from a premium-quality 7.5-tonne delivery truck to a 21- tonner drawbar outfit for trunking.
In Britain, the LN2 was most popular as a 7.5-tonner, but with a deep chassis designed to accommodate higher design weights and overloading outside of European markets, there was a slight weight penalty, which Mercedes sought to minimise with increased use of plastics for the cab.
The 809 variant was powered by the 4-cylinder 88hp OM 364 engine, with the 814 and larger 1114 both using the 6-cylinder, 134hp OM 366, both in naturally-aspirated form, and each driving through a 5-speed synchromesh gearbox.
The LN2 was anticipated to have a 20-year design life, but despite its huge success it fell a little short of this, bowing out for the Atego models in 1998.
