"Even the Germans go in for badge-engineering," reads the caption on the back of this photograph that I bought at Truckfest last week.
It goes on to explain that although it looks like a Mercedes-Benz 406 (which in turn looks remarkably like the present day Vario), it is in fact a Hanomag Henschel. Apparently everything except the grille, headlights and badges were standard Mercedes components.
Could this be one of the ugliest vans ever built?
Thanks for all your comments on this one - OK maybe I was a bit hasty with the ugly comments. If you're interested this website is well worth a look at.
ermmm, is it really any uglier than the original Sherpa? Or the Renault Fourgon? Well, than any of the French vans really....
Doesn't the screen arrangement remind you of the 2800 DAF, that we all think of as being rugged and functional, rather than ugly??
The Renault Estafette was kinda cute ? no ?
And for the Germans and badge engineering... Have you followed up VAG group these 40 lasts years ?
Nearly not an Audi that wasn't also a volkswagen or the opposite... and for the Q7, Touareg, even a Porsche (Cayenne)
Here in japan they add insult to injury, before VAG where sold with Toyota, then Audi went away from the proletarian brand... that means now, the garage where you bought your Audi refuse to even change the oil as they work only on VW...
No, the Fiat Multipa, has to rank as NO1 in the ugly vehicle contest.
The HHF and MB busses differed in a big number details, not only lights but also in engines, gearboxes and axles. the list is quite long, so badge-engineering up to a certain degree.
as for the ugliest van, I go for the MB edition any day as a huge Hanomag-Henschel Fan(just look at my website)
As far as I know, Hanomag-Henschel were acquired by Mercedes-Benz; and so their products were re-badged and re-styled. This is just one. Another one I can recall for sure is the smaller van seen back on the right, which shall be an F20.
This was common scene in my childhood between '67-69 years,when similar Hanomag van delivered steel and alloy car wheel in a warehouse near my home. I don't agree with criticism against Fiat 600 MultipLa,this was the yesterdays concept of car/truck style.I also remember the bizarre shape of Bedford TK cabin that in conjunction with (I guess)his pneumatic brake system "whistle" scared me as something luciferine..:))