Winter Proof: 1987 Mercedes-Benz Unimog Snow Blower


I can't resist. Here is another Unimog within the span of a week. This one will make sure you never, ever get stuck in snow, or any inclement weather for that matter.

The Unimog is perhaps the ultimate 4x4 vehicle. As far as I can tell, there has never been a purely civilian version offered. They were initially military vehicles. The ones that pop up for resale are usually decommissioned civil service vehicles. They were never officially sold here until 2002, when Daimler Chrysler attempted sales of the U500 variant for only 5 years, resulting in just 184 units sold.


This is a 1987 U-1500, based off the 1976-88 424 series. These featured more angular styling than the beloved 406 series. The "classic" 406-style was categorized as a "light" truck, while the new 424 became "middle" and "heavy".

The seller of this example says it is a Class 6 vehicle, weighing between 19,000-26,000 lbs. The seller says is is powered by twin diesel engines. It's mated to no less than 8 forward and reverse gears. Attached to the truck is a Sicard Snow Blower that is powered by a twin-turbocharged 12-cylinder OA424A engine.


Mechanically, the seller says both engines run great, and have low miles and hours logged. They say the tires are good and the blower is effective, throwing snow "great distances".

Cosmetically, this thing is a beacon of hope in the desolate winter landscape with bright orange paint and black accents. When the Unimog is used for military and civil work for the German government, they are aesthetically pleasing in a level of detail only the Germans can master. This one comes close, but could use some more details. I'd paint the rear bumper guard in yellow and red diagonal hazard stripes.

It is not clear whether this example was used for a public or private entity.


If you own large commercial space or a farm in areas that get dense snowfall, this could be a nifty tool all winter long.

Available here on ebay in Stanley, South Dakota with bidding and a Buy-It-Now of $33.9k.

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