Back in August 2024, MB trac owners staged their first major get together in Dohren, a small town to the south of Hamburg. The event proved a huge success, with a wide range of tractors on display with their doting owners and fellow enthusiasts.
KEEPING IT BRIEF
- Dedicated MB trac event grew beyond expectations.
- Over 200 MB tracs and Unimogs were on display.
- A large show within the show was held for tractors with factory speciality finishes.
Organising an MB trac gathering at a motorcycle speedway circuit was a bit of a gamble, the club grounds of MSC Dohren in north west Germany hardly being the most likely spot for a tractor meet. The initial was to organise a private event with just 50 or so people. What was not expected was the level of interest the event would generate, the planning team of twelve realising early on they would need to make some big changes as the number of attendees quickly rose to over 200. Luckily a large local campsite would enable participants to camp nearby, so it was all systems go.
The site
The meeting was organised in collaboration with MSC Dohre, the site fortunately having all the key infrastructure of water, electricity and restrooms in place for large crowds. Although the 220m course is the shortest speedway track in Europe, the race circuit proved ideal for staging the tractors in a circle, full floodlighting enabling the event to go on as the sun went down. By the time all the participants arrived on the Saturday afternoon of the event, there was barely enough space to squeeze in any late arrivals.
The participants
Over 200 participants from Germany and neighbouring countries took part in the meeting, which meant some rarities turned up too. These included 15 original Trac 1800 models, of which only 190 were made, together with enough models finished in special colours to enable these to be staged together. All these variations were offered by the factory at the time, to include silver thistle, white and fir green. Some even had a military livery. As an aside, the white models were intended for export to France and Saudi Arabia, with the aim of reflecting the sun to reduce heat build-up. Another highlight was an MB trac 1100, a short-lived variant of which only 72 were built.
In addition to the MB tracs, Unimogs were also on display, including one of just four high-wheel Kraft & Co conversions. The owner of this unusual ‘Mog’ also brought along his replica of the last MB trac to roll off the assembly line, an MB trac 1800 intercooler. The original, known as the Black Beauty, is on show at the Unimog Museum (see the panel “The perfect twin”).
To reflect upon the legacy of the MB trac, there were some variations of the theme on show including a Schlüter Super Trac 1900 TVL (see the box ‘A Schlüter in MB trac livery’) and a JCB Fastrac 4220, both in MB trac livery. Others of interest included a Doppstadt Trac 150, Kramer Trac TS-C 1 014 and a Deutz-Fahr Intrac.
A SCHLÜTER IN MB TRAC LIVERY
Ralf Bennink’s Schlüter 1900 TVL in MB trac livery may seem an odd star at an MB trac themed event but look at its paintwork and consider its power unit, a Mercedes 366 as fitted to the MB trac 1800. The Schlüter was in fact commissioned by Mercedes with plans to sell these models through the Unimog dealer network. The Mercedes-Schlüter co-operation resulted in just two test 1900 TVL getting built, with this particular tractor becoming a test mule to include a stint working at the Seed Breeding Union near Solingen in North-Rhine, Westfalia.
As it turned out, the co-operation between Mercedes and Schlüter fizzled out, with the first 1900 TVL being destroyed by a fire. This leaves the tractor owned by Ralf Bennink as a lucky one-off; it too caught fire in the past but fortunately it was saved in time.
Ralf bought the tractor from a Schlüter dealer 14 years ago, unaware that it was a unique example. Initially he put it to work as a regular tractor but one day a member of the Unimog Museum alerted him to the fact that his tractor was unique. That very same day, Ralf bought another tractor to enable him to retire the 1900 TVL. These days this now fully restored and unusual tractor is only brought out for special events, with both Schlüter and MB trac enthusiasts no doubt wondering what might have been had the joint venture between the two companies progressed. As to Ralf’s other tractors, he has a further four Schlüter tractors, four Fends, two John Deeres, two Unimogs and a Lanz
The longest journey
A glance at the license plates was a clue that many owners had come a long way to take part. Michael Eckert, Dominik Sigl, Martin Kempter and Steffen Stegmann from Burtenbach in southern Germany travelled the furthest. The four friends loaded their MB tracs onto two flat-bed trucks, setting off for the event at midnight on the previous Thursday. To ease travel restrictions, the trucks driven by the four in rotation, this enabling the near 700km journey to be tackled in one go. After around ten hours on the road, the trucks arrived in Dohren at 10 a.m. on Friday.
In recognition of their long journey, the four MB trac friends were presented with a prize by the organisers. When asked whether the long journey was worth the effort, Michael Eckert quipped “We Bavarians are crazy about this hobby, but you guys up here are a whole different kettle of fish. This event is an amazing feat, especially as it is the very first meeting. Everything was organised so well”.
It was not all about show, with tractor pullers, the Uschi Pulling Team, operating a dyno and software programme to display the torque and horsepower of display models in real time. There were also specialist dealers and restorers among the attendees, with the usual scramble to find those elusive missing parts. As you would expect, a food and beer truck did a roaring trade the get-together soon turning into a big party.
THE PERFECT TWIN
Sven Schüll purchased an MB trac 1800 Intercooler several years ago with the aim of restoring it to factory silver thistle specification. Following a visit to the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau, where MB tracs were once manufactured, he was so enthralled by the museum’s MB trac 1800 intercooler “Black Beauty”, he decided to build a replica. But it had to match Black Beauty, the last MB Trac off the line.
Over five trips to museum, he took over 1,000 photos of the exhibit, taking in every detail of the tractor to ensure he could produce a perfect twin to the museum model. Even the bolts used throughout his tractor’s restoration are the same as the originals, with all special ‘one off’ decals perfectly matched and positioned. Even the radio and the ignition key are identical.
A look inside the cab is further proof of the care taken during the restoration. Sven spent years looking for a replacement speedometer, the only one he found having an owner who did not want to sell. Sven didn’t give up, mustering up all his powers persuasion and the lure of €6,000 to take the rare piece home. But even this was not quite enough, Sven then sent the speedometer to the manufacturer so it registered exactly 5.80 operating hours. Why? To match the hours showing on the museum tractor. With the hour meter now disabled, Sven then had his tractor chassis number covered with a decal etched with numbers to match the last MB trac off the line too. We did say his tractor is an exact copy, and it is!
Sven Schüll also brought along a rare high-wheel Unimog, an original MB trac with 7,000 hours on the clock, an MB trac in special paintwork and a Mercedes SK truck.
Wrapping up
The organisers din not anticipate over 200 participants travelling to Dohren. Nor did anyone expect so many models in special livery to gather in one place. The attendees spared neither expense nor effort to enjoy the specialist interest in these unique tractors. Now there are ideas for a repeat at a yet larger scale in two years’ time. Watch this space!
Sebastian Rüther
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