Yes, although these early forward control Mercedes offered a much better layout within a shorter wheelbase and therefore a more maneuverable chassis, they rarely found favor with German fire services. And the same was true for contemporary Magirus and MAN forward control trucks at that time. By the early fifties forward control fire trucks were the norm in the UK and pretty widespread in many countries , but it took Germany around two decades to fully embrace this design. Curiously enough, the evolution of forward control fire engines in the US was also rather slow, even though American LaFrance introduced their revolutionary mid engined forward control pump as early as 1947.
Added by Rob Johnson on 03 January 2026.