2026 is the year that sees Mercedes-Benz mark the 130th anniversary of the world’s first truck.
Presented by Gottlieb Daimler in 1896, the two‑cylinder “Phoenix” rear‑mounted engine delivered four horsepower via a displacement of 1.06 litres, driving the rear axle via a belt system. Coil springs protected the sensitive engine from vibrations, and the front axle was steered via chains.
As early as 1899, Daimler delivered the first trucks to England and France, where they prevailed over steam‑powered vehicles.
Mainstays of the Mercedes-Benz truck range today are two International Truck of the Year winners – the 1996-launched, heavy-duty Actros, popular amongst long-distance hauliers, and Atego, launched in 1998 and favoured by food distributors and delivery specialists generally. Another model, which was spawned by the Atego and seen working in housing estates, is the Econic bin collection truck favoured by many private waste collectors.
30 years ago Mercedes‑Benz set new standards in efficiency, safety, and driver comfort with the introduction of the Actros. A further milestone followed in 2006 with the debut of Active Brake Assist – another system celebrating an anniversary this year. As a pioneer in assistance technology, Active Brake Assist has been continuously enhanced adding to greater active safety on the road.
Today, the Actros family spans multiple generations, including the current Actros L and eActros 600. Together, they represent three decades of technological progress, from new drivetrain technologies and connected systems to comprehensive safety features. An evolution that illustrates the significant role the Actros plays in modernising freight transport and how closely its history is linked to 130 years of innovation in truck development.
Special exhibition “Legends on Wheels – Pioneering Spirit, Innovation, Tradition” at the Technik Museum Speyer
Mercedes‑Benz Trucks Classic is supporting the exhibition as one of several activities during the “130 Years of Trucks” anniversary year.
- The exhibition’s content is being redesigned, including a focus on the 80th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog.
- New exhibits, including several historic Unimog vehicles and the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, will complement the presentation.
- A restored vehicle is being built in the glass workshop and is scheduled to leave the hall ready to drive in the spring of 2026.
The Technik Museum Speyer (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany,
is extending the special exhibition “Legends on Wheels – Pioneering Spirit, Innovation, Tradition” through November 8, 2026, and updating it with new content. Since December 21, 2024, the exhibition has showcased historic and modern commercial vehicles spanning more than a century of development in road freight transport. With this extension, the focus shifts to the 80th anniversary of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog. The museum is redesigning the presentation with additional exhibits and providing deeper insights into the history of this versatile vehicle. The extension is one of several activities organized by Mercedes-Benz Classics as part of the “130 Years of Trucks” anniversary year.
“The extension of the exhibition in Speyer provides an opportunity to gain further insights into key chapters of our commercial vehicle history. It is one of several initiatives we are undertaking to mark the ‘130 Years of Trucks’ anniversary and to illustrate technical developments,” says Bernd Hufendiek of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Classic.
A Mercedes-Benz LPS 1626 from the early 1970s, featuring the then-brand-new eight-cylinder V-engine with 256 hp/188 kW, is presented in a colourful and very authentic style typical of the era. It also marks the beginning of tilting cabs on Mercedes-Benz trucks.
With the inclusion of the Mercedes-Benz eActros 600, the future of road freight transport takes centre stage in the exhibition. This battery-electric vehicle for long-haul transport exemplifies current technical developments that build on proven concepts while also responding to new requirements.
