The vehicle pictured above already is called after the new classification as 406. That are then rounded up 3.9 tonnes gross vehicle weight, and also rounded up 60 hp divided by 10. This car was originally created in 1956 as L319, with the somewhat feeblish diesel engine of the 180D vehicle with 32 kW (43 hp).
The form appears quite modern for the time. Nevertheless a cover-over-engine truck, albeit with a rigid front axle instead of the independent wheel suspension on sedans. So that is not given away too much space in the relatively short transporter, thefront doors attach behind the front wheels, what this together with its casing slightly does emerge out of the front. Apart from this slightly irritating optic the construction has more advantages, which is explaining also the good sales of the model (> 120,000) in the eleven years of construction.
The body is available in two variants, as a bus or van self-supporting and flatbed truck or low-bed trailer with ladder frame. A year after the first presentation the 1.9-liter petrol engine with 48 kW (65 hp) comes into the program, what the 319 finally brings adequate acceleration and top speed, but also rather 15 than 10 litres/100km. Later - as can be seen in the data above - the diesel engine can also keep up, while the petrol engine even comes at 59 kW (80 hp).
With the engines even is growing the rich variety in construction. From the beginning, vans and buses (O 319) are delivered parallel, the latter even with skylight windows as the VW Samba bus. A flatbed truck with wooden floor and side walls follows on the low-bed trailer. Only with ladder frame delivered models allow any desired construction. Finally, there follows a high roof and the unavoidable version with a longer wheelbase. To then also fits a double cabin. The total permissible weight remains at just under 4 tons. 03/09
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