Login

Mercedes-Benz's First Pickup Was Based On The W114/W115 Built In The 70s

Mercedes-Benz Argentina had made its first mass-market attempt at the segment back in the '70s itself with locally assembled pickup truck built around the W114/W115 generation of vehicles.
Calendar-icon

By Seshan Vijayraghvan

clock-icon

1 mins read

Calendar-icon

Published on November 1, 2016

Follow us on

google-news-icon
Story

Highlights

  • The model with a car-based pickup truck built on the W114/W115
  • The model was built by the company's division in Argentina
  • The pickup was also sold in Argentina by some of the Mercedes dealerships

Mercedes-Benz recently introduced its all-new pickup truck concept - the X-Class. While the car is touted to be the first pickup to be built by Mercedes-Benz, the Stuttgart-based carmaker's recent social media post says otherwise. Apparently, Mercedes-Benz Argentina had made its first mass-market attempt at the segment back in the '70s itself with locally assembled pickup truck built around the W114/W115 generation of vehicles.

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Cabin

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Cabin

According to Mercedes, at that time, the W114/W115s were sent to Argentina as CKD (complete knock-down) unit for reassembly in Latin America. Someone in the company's division in Argentina decided to create a car-based pickup truck by adding platforms onto the chassis, behind the B-pillar. The interesting bit is this pickup was actually sold in Argentina by some of the top Mercedes-Benz dealerships. In fact, they even came up with a wow name to capture the imagination: "La Pickup".

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Features

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Features

As mentioned earlier, this limited run Mercedes pickup was essentially the W114/W115 sedan that was converted into a single cab car-based pickup. The front end remains exactly similar to the sedan with the chic chrome grille, vertical headlamps with chrome bezels, a solid chrome front bumper and the three-pointed star logo for a hood ornament. The truck's redesigned rear portion came with a bed that looks to be just a few wood panels and the way that the tailgate dips down, indicates that there wasn't a conventional tailgate either. There was also a proper wall partition behind the B-Pillar with a glass window.

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Flatbed

Mercedes W114/W115 Pickup Flatbed

Coming to Mercedes' current and official attempt at a pickup truck, the new Mercedes-Benz X-Class, according to the automaker, has been designed to offer the best of both worlds. That is the functionality, toughness and off-road capability of a conventional pick-up truck and the high-tech amenities, comfort, and luxury features of a Mercedes-Benz sedan or a crossover. Interestingly, the X-Class for the Latin American market will also be built in Argentina at Renault's plant in Cordoba, with the launch slated for 2018.

Stay updated with automotive news and reviews right at your fingertips through carandbike.com's Google News

Related Articles

Latest News