How Much Does a Mercedes-Benz Unimog Cost?
The Unimog is a go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle produced by Mercedes-Benz for agrarian and commercial use. It even looks the part, like a cross between a farm tractor and a commercial truck.
The original Unimogs were crude, light-duty vehicles built to work. Built as self-propelled agricultural vehicles, they were designed primarily for offroad use and included features like power connections for an assortment of tools. Rugged and overbuilt, they’ve never been cheap, but with any well-made tool, they will last a lifetime.
So, how much does a Mercedes-Benz Unimog cost? That’s not an easy question to answer. Mercedes-Benz’s own website is coy about answering the price question on a new Unimog. As for used ones, they vary significantly in price depending on age, condition, and features.
A brief history of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog
Unimog stands for UNIversal-MOtor-Gerat, with gerat translating from German as a word for device, gadget, or appliance. According to Expedition Meister, the first model was created by Boehringer shortly after World War II for agricultural use. With its high ground clearance and full-time all-wheel drive, it could go practically anywhere and was like a tractor with equal-size wheels.
Mercedes-Benz took over manufacturing the Unimog in 1951 and began improving it and expanding its capabilities. It introduced a heavy-duty model in 1974 and produced several purpose-built variants for everything from military use to fire and rescue trucks and even expedition campers. Today they can be found in jungles, deserts, and other remote terrain and are used for farming, plowing snow, and equipment carriers.
The modern MB Unimog is the Swiss Army Knife of off-road vehicles
Mercedes-Benz will gladly sell you a new Unimog but doesn’t list a price on its website. Perhaps the company doesn’t want to induce sticker shock because of the high asking price. In 2020, Carbuzz tested a four-door truck version listed for $369,000. For a brand-new model, even the bare-bones, entry-level Unimog will be around $250k.
Another reason why the Unimog is so expensive is because most of them are built for specific purposes. For the most part, you can’t just walk into a Unimog dealer and pick one out like it’s a Ford F-150. Mercedes-Benz’s own website says:
“The combination with fixed or interchangeable implements and bodies creates a system that offers exceptional variety, flexibility and productivity. Mercedes-Benz has been cooperating with international equipment and body manufacturers for decades and combines in the Unimog the experience and competence of specialists as well as the expertise of competent Unimog partners. This results in tailor-made solutions, even for unusual requirements.”
Or in other words, you can’t buy a Sebring Paddock Blue Unimog with the Sound and Sun Package and the Rally Trac Package because it doesn’t exist. However, if you want a Unimog with a four-door cab, dump truck bed with a sunroof, and a Bluetooth stereo, Mercedes-Benz or one of its partners will build it for you.
Classic Unimogs have a huge cult following
What if you want a used Mercedes-Benz Unimog? Again, it’s a tricky question to answer. Unimogs have developed a considerable cult following because of their utilitarian nature and extreme offroad capability. Classic lists a number of Unimogs for sale, including vintage ones, ex-military ambulances, troop transports, service vehicles, and purpose-built commercial trucks. Prices range from a low of about $4,600 to $220,000, with the average somewhere around $50,000.
People who buy Unimogs seem to fall into two camps. They either use them for their intended purposes or to drive and enjoy. Lately, however, there’s been a third category of people who buy Unimogs to turn into overland campers. Taking advantage of the Unimog’s offroad ability, they modify it, building a tiny home on wheels.
