Thursday 14th April 2011

M-B 4x4s Fly To Aid Japan

20 mighty Mercs require heavy airlift to disaster region

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20 Mercedes-Benz trucks are on the way to Japan via mighty Antonov heavy-lift aircraft, as part of an aid package donated by the German company.

Daimler has already made a €2 million cash donation to Japan's disaster fund, and the vehicles being flown in from Stuttgart include eight Zetros trucks, four Unimogs, and eight G-Class off-road vehicles - a haul that requires a pair of Antonov 124s to transport around the globe. They're due to take off from Stuttgart tomorrow.

They'll be used to support assistance and clean-up operations in the north-eastern part of the country that was devastated by the tsunami. Thirty Fuso Canter trucks from Japan are also included in Daimler's donation, which totals 50 vehicles worth about €4 million.

[R66STU]

Thats pretty nice of them. and good P.R

[Beyond Rational]

Didn't know there was a Japan Disaster Fund, I thought that Japan hadn't asked for financial help?

Material help I can understand.

[Digga]

I know that Komatsu Japan have put all used equipment exports on hold and sent a ruck of kit to help the clean-up and reconstruction works.

Nice to see big companies looking at the big picture.

(Those Merc 6x6 trucks look fantastic!)

[dapearson]

So concerned are they that they lined all of the trucks up, took pretty pictures and i assume have done a nice press release about it...

[wiffmaster]

Looks like a win/win situation. Rescuers get lots of useful toys and Daimler get lots of good PR for relatively little expenditure.

Still don't quite understand the drive to donate cash to the world's 2/3 biggest economy though. Specialist equipment and expertise I can understand...but cash?

[Chris-R]

dapearson said:

So concerned are they that they lined all of the trucks up, took pretty pictures and i assume have done a nice press release about it...

A bit unfair I reckon - 4 million euros could have bought a lot more PR than this will get.

[Digga]

dapearson said:

So concerned are they that they lined all of the trucks up, took pretty pictures and i assume have done a nice press release about it...

Documentary evidence of export. For the auditors.

[dapearson]

Chris-R said:

A bit unfair I reckon - 4 million euros could have bought a lot more PR than this will get.

Sorry. Bad day. Good on them for doing it, but the press shot of the trucks lined up smacks a bit of "look what we're doing to help".

[george h]

I wonder if they're after volunteers to drive the Unimogs... Love those

[oilit]

a little strange some of the responses on here I have to say !

I am sure that the UK could donate a........................erm...........................

Bristol Fighter
A couple of dodgy Lotus
Some London Taxis
and a couple of Aston Martins...

Fascinating that the Germans are at least in a position to donate something of use - because they have a manufacturing heritage - and taking photos of it may smack of 'look at us', but at least they have something they can be proud of.....from the above I am not sure what we have .....apart from bad bank debts....plummeting sales in the high street....i coudl go on !


Maybe the JCB family could donate some gear.....

Edited by oilit on Wednesday 13th April 17:24

[Chris-R]

dapearson said:

Sorry. Bad day. Good on them for doing it, but the press shot of the trucks lined up smacks a bit of "look what we're doing to help".

Yes it does, but if I had hired a pair of Antonovs I'd probably want a memento!

[wackojacko]

not much can stop a Unimog.

good on MB.

[whythem]

I sure the Japanese will appreciate these trucks at the moment, especially when they end up getting nuked again. But Im certain Mercede's have seen an opportunity here for sales promotion. I dont recall them sending any trucks to Haiti.

[fattybunter]

oilit said:

a little strange some of the responses on here I have to say !

I am sure that the UK could donate a........................erm...........................

Bristol Fighter
A couple of dodgy Lotus
Some London Taxis
and a couple of Aston Martins...

Fascinating that the Germans are at least in a position to donate something of use - because they have a manufacturing heritage - and taking photos of it may smack of 'look at us', but at least they have something they can be proud of.....from the above I am not sure what we have .....apart from bad bank debts....plummeting sales in the high street....i coudl go on !


Maybe the JCB family could donate some gear.....

Edited by oilit on Wednesday 13th April 17:24

Well Caterpiler have donated a load of equipment, alot of which have Perkins engines in which are designed, developed and built in the UK, as are some of the Cat machines.
So the UK has contributed even if it is indirectly.

[Bugeyeandy]

whythem said:

I sure the Japanese will appreciate these trucks at the moment, especially when they end up getting nuked again. But Im certain Mercede's have seen an opportunity here for sales promotion. I dont recall them sending any trucks to Haiti.

http://www.daimler.com/dccom/0-5-540406-1-1270142-...

Looks like they did, perhaps because there was no fanfare it wasn't picked up in the news like this story has been.

[100SRV]

oilit said:

a little strange some of the responses on here I have to say !

I am sure that the UK could donate a........................erm...........................

Bristol Fighter
A couple of dodgy Lotus
Some London Taxis
and a couple of Aston Martins...

Fascinating that the Germans are at least in a position to donate something of use - because they have a manufacturing heritage - and taking photos of it may smack of 'look at us', but at least they have something they can be proud of.....from the above I am not sure what we have .....apart from bad bank debts....plummeting sales in the high street....i coudl go on !


Maybe the JCB family could donate some gear.....

Edited by oilit on Wednesday 13th April 17:24

What about:
Dennis Eagle trucks as prime movers
Carmichael Fire/rescue tenders for rescue and recovery
Land Rovers for liaison
MCV / Optare / Wrightbus buses to move folks about

Sad though that the only UK truck manufacturer left is Dennis Eagle and that we buy our army trucks from Germany.

[hidetheelephants]

100SRV said:

What about:
Dennis Eagle trucks as prime movers
Carmichael Fire/rescue tenders for rescue and recovery
Land Rovers for liaison
MCV / Optare / Wrightbus buses to move folks about

Sad though that the only UK truck manufacturer left is Dennis Eagle and that we buy our army trucks from Germany.

Do Marshalls not do a lot of the customisation of the green fleet though?

[L555BAT]

Well done to them. Don't see any harm in getting PR benefit from it.

article said:

50 vehicles worth about €4 million

At €80k average each, I wonder if that's the cost to MB/Daimler or what they would sell for.

[PaulMoor]

oilit said:

a little strange some of the responses on here I have to say !

I am sure that the UK could donate a........................erm...........................

Bristol Fighter
A couple of dodgy Lotus
Some London Taxis
and a couple of Aston Martins...

Fascinating that the Germans are at least in a position to donate something of use - because they have a manufacturing heritage - and taking photos of it may smack of 'look at us', but at least they have something they can be proud of.....from the above I am not sure what we have .....apart from bad bank debts....plummeting sales in the high street....i coudl go on !


Maybe the JCB family could donate some gear.....

Oh good lord. Just drop it. We do make things and there is no need to bring this up in this story. The UK would probably be much happier if people like you would just stop peddleing this nonsense. Good luck to MB I say.

[PhilJames]

PaulMoor said:

Oh good lord. Just drop it. We do make things and there is no need to bring this up in this story. The UK would probably be much happier if people like you would just stop peddleing this nonsense. Good luck to MB I say.

Thank you!

Well done Merc! They have to use this to be able to fund it, I see honour in this, nothing else. (They could have spent the money on a bonus for the board and didn't)

And if you fancy driving one then go for it!