This grim looking Mercedes-Benz T1 stood out at the starting point of a driving tour for classic vehicles; the participants in such events are usually not known for causing any kind of serious problems while cruising down the road. But no worries, the van is off duty, permanently. It doesn’t pick up the very naughty any longer.
According to the information I found about an identical and contemporary T1, often referred to as the Bremer Transporter, it was used by the Mobile Unit of our police force. More specifically, by said unit’s aanhoudingseenheid, the officers who arrest the most aggressive and violent rioters of the pack.
On duty, the whole windshield was protected by a fence guard. The bars behind the front side windows remained in place though, just like the light units’ plexiglass protection and the grille guard.
The 310 D was offered from 1988 to 1995, it’s powered by the OM 602.940 diesel engine, an inline-five with a displacement of 2.9 liter. Combined with the automatic transmission, which is the case here, the engine’s maximum power output is 98 DIN-hp.
In its days, the 1977-1995 Mercedes-Benz T1 was by far the toughest van of them all. The police just couldn’t have made a better choice for the job than this.
When I was a kid, I had numerous rides in a short wheelbase/low roof T1 van. It was an entirely different trim level though and I certainly didn’t sit in the back…
Related reading:
Curbside Classic: Mercedes-Benz 207 D (T1) And Other Vintage MBZ Vans
Those doors were used on quite a few of the Mercedes Commercial vehicles back in the ’80s-’90s.
These (and their successors – all Mercedes-Benz) are called “hollændervogne” (“Dutchman wagons”) in Denmark, Johannes. Thoight you might find that amusing. I have no idea why.
Well of course I had to check that out, so I read about them on the Danish Wikipedia site. The pictures there show the bigger T2 van and its successor, the Vario. The “manschappenvoertuig”, as also mentioned in the text, to transport the crew/policemen.
Thanks for the info! At first I thought it had something to do with the Spartan/Calvinistic interior and exterior of such vehicles…
No idea we were considered that violent!
Nicknames are a funny thing. In Germany these bigger vans are known as DueDos, which is short for Duesseldorfer Transporter, because of they were buildt there. In police specification they became famous as “Berliner Wanne” (Berlin tub).
DueDos DoKa?
Duesseldorfer Transporter with double cap. DüDo DoKa
I also have memories of the T1 Bremer Transporter. Around 2003 or so I was a driver in a nonprofit organization that transports people in wheelchairs. All cars were Mercedes Sprinter except one old T1. As Johannes said it has a very spartan interior. For example it had no radio so no one wanted to drive it, except me. I thought it was fun to drive such an old rig. It looked like that one in the picture
The Gray Maria?