Mercedes L4500A Half Closed

Add the Mercedes L4500A Half Closed to your WWII tabletop force, historical miniature collection, or diorama. This made-to-order model is available in a choice of scales; select your preferred scale from the dropdown.

The Mercedes-Benz L4500A—specifically variants incorporating the "Half Closed" (Einheitsfahrerhaus / Standardized Cab) configuration—was a heavy-duty, four-wheel-drive cargo truck used extensively by the German Wehrmacht on all fronts during World War II. While originally built with a fully enclosed steel luxury cab, mid-to-late war resource shortages forced a transition to a standardized, "half closed" wood-and-pressed-cardboard cabin configuration.

Design and Bodywork

• Chassis & Manufacturer: Manufactured by Mercedes-Benz at their Gaggenau plant. The "A" in L4500A stands for Allradantrieb (All-Wheel Drive), separating it from its rear-wheel-drive sibling, the L4500S.
• The "Half Closed" Cab: Officially known as the Einheitsfahrerhaus. To save strategic materials like steel, the late-war cab was constructed using a timber framework paneled with resin-impregnated hardboard (pressed cardboard/fiberboard). It is termed "half closed" because while it provided a rigid, weather-sealed roof and back wall, it featured simplified, flat structural angles, removable canvas or fiberboard lower door inserts, and basic slide-out glass or celluloid windows.
• Front Profile: Retained its iconic, massive forward-projecting steel engine hood and distinctive metal radiator grille, juxtaposed sharply against the flat, blocky, unpainted or dark-yellow wooden cabin behind it.
• Interior Access: Standard driver and passenger side doors made of wood/fiberboard composition, separating the crew completely from the rear cargo bed or specialized rear box machinery.

Technical Specifications

• Engine: Heavy-duty, 6-cylinder, 7,274 cc Mercedes-Benz OM 67/4 diesel engine generating 112 horsepower.
• Transmission: 5-speed manual transmission with an integrated high/low-ratio transfer case for off-road environments.
• Drive Configuration: 4×4 All-Wheel Drive with dual rear tires on the rear axle to balance heavy loads.
• Fuel Capacity: 140-liter diesel tank, providing significantly more reliable range than contemporary petrol-guzzling alternatives.
• Top Speed: Approximately 41 mph (66 km/h) on paved roads, though highly capable at low-speed crawl rates through mud and snow.
• Dimensions: Length ~25.9 ft (7.89 m), Width ~7.7 ft (2.35 m), Height ~10.1 ft (3.08 m to top of canvas canvas hoops).

Capacity & Utility

• Payload/Cargo Capacity: Rated for a massive 4.5-tonne payload capacity. The expansive rear wooden flatbed was typically covered with a heavy canvas tarpaulin over wooden hoops, though it was frequently customized into a half-closed mobile workshop or anti-aircraft gun platform.
• Crew: 2 to 3 personnel in the main cab (Driver and co-driver/mechanic).
• Equipment: Equipped with a massive under-chassis towing winch, compressed-air braking connection hooks for heavy trailers, and engine pre-heaters designed to cope with sub-zero operating environments.

Wartime Legacy

• Production: Production of the L4500 series spanned from 1939 to 1944 at Mercedes-Benz, with production numbers reaching roughly 9,500 units (combining both the 4x2 'S' and 4x4 'A' chassis configurations). The "half-closed" wood cabin variants dominated assembly lines from late 1943 onward.
• Notable Service: Essential logistically for the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front, where the all-wheel-drive system was one of the few things capable of surviving Russia’s mud seasons (Rasputitsa). The chassis was so durable that the Germans used its rear track assembly to develop the L4500R "Maultier" (Mule) half-track vehicle variant.

Designer: M Bergman
Manufacturer: S&C Foundry
Associated Army: Germany
Era: WWII
Product features: Printed with high-quality ABS-like gray resin.

This is a 3D-printed product and may have minor imperfections. Some assembly and removal of print supports may be required.