Berlin Transporter
When the Kaiser reigned in Germany and the annual calendar was about to reach the number 1900, the ‘Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft’ with its branch plant in Berlin-Marienfelde was very involved in the development of the truck. The company continuously expanded its transport sector, winning medals in various competitions and the then obligatory exhibitions for its innovative technology.
World War I, which broke out in 1914, did not stop the development at all, and in 1917 the Berlin branch offered three different types. The smallest truck was the 3-ton model DC 3 with a 33 hp-strong engine. The large DR 4.5d was produced in two variants and was designated as a four- to five-ton truck.
The DR 4.5d models were fitted with a 7.2-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 45 horsepower at the very low speed of only 800 rpm. The extent to which the generally weak motorization of the trucks challenged the engineers became clear in the driving performance. Daimler specified a maximum speed of 16 km/h for the DR4.5d series! This specification referred to a route on the flat, but according to the brochure it was even possible for the DR 4.5 to master a gradient of up to 25%.
After the end of World War I, it was not until 1922 that the DR model series was modified. Different wheelbases were offered and the engine output increased to 50 hp with the 55 hp drive, the top speed of 21 km/h could be reached. In 1926, the last DR truck left the factory and the model series was replaced by the new generation called ‘L 2’.
