Description
The Mercedes-Benz L6600, the successor to the L5000 and an icon of European road transport in the 50s. The "6600" referred to its 6,6-ton payload, a significant improvement over the L5000.
Dutch transporters heading to Italy or Yugoslavia often chose the L6600. The extra power made mountain passes a little less perilous.
In the early 50s, it was one of the first postwar trucks to reestablish Mercedes' image as a leading truck manufacturer. Many European farmers and small haulers saw the L6600 as "the truck that got Germany back on its feet."
The cabin was slightly more modern and comfortable than the L5000, but still spartan: little sound insulation, simple benches and minimal heating.
Drivers often carried spare fuel in jerrycans on their fenders. On long journeys through Turkey, gas stations were scarce, and some drivers later recounted trading diesel for bread or cigarettes in remote villages.
With a 5- or 6-speed gearbox (largely unsynchronised), double-clutching remained the norm.
