Corgi Small Scale; Mercedes-Benz L Artic

The Mercedes-Benz "Kurzhauber" (short-bonnet) truck is a conventional layout, cab-after-engine truck manufactured from 1959 to present day (2022). The engine intruded into the cabin underneath the windshield, all in the name of making a shorter truck to meet the strict period German regulations on overall length. The short-bonnet truck was built in many countries and remains in service throughout many of the regions to which it was exported.

In the closing days of Corgi Toys This Mercedes, a Scania T cab and a Scammell/Leyland Land Train came into the Corgi Toys range. Previously Corgi Toys trucks had been around 1:50 scale, but these are smaller, probably around 1:72 scale, more Corgi Juniors than what van Cleemput refers to as 'true Corgis'. In January 1983 there were three releases with this cab, two fridge trailers with Corgi (1129) graphics and Christian Salvesen (1131) graphics. There was also a tanker also with Corgi graphics (1130), the example in the Great Book of Corgi is yellow. Some of the model numbers on the examples below differ, they may have been re-boxed or from a different release.

The cab was widely used in the early post-Mettoy period and I've shown the ones I have found so far below. Most of the model numbers are guesses as the trucks are not boxed.