German minivan war vehicles Unimog

Watch as we tour Ramona Motors, in California. Ramona is home to a range of vehicles, with some rather unique German war vehicles. Unimogs are produced by Mercedes Benz, and simply means, Universal Motor Gerat, or “universal motor device”.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: So, we’re at Ramona Motors. Now, this vehicle, what is this?

Speaker 2: That’s a Pinzgauer 710K.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: A Pinzgauer…

Speaker 2: A Pinzgauer 710K.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: And, how old is it, do you know?

Speaker 2: It’s 1973. It’s made by Steyr Daimler Puch, in Austria.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: Wow.

Speaker 2: Four-wheel drive, that’s a command car; they’re pretty rare. This one will carry five people. We also have some troop carriers that’ll be coming in that will carry up to fourteen people in about two weeks.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: What year is it?

Speaker 2: This one’s a 1973.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: And what do you think the miles per gallon is?

Speaker 2: About sixteen.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: Wow. And what do you have over here on the right? It’s a Mercedes?

Speaker 2: That’s, yes, that’s a Unimog 404 Doka, and that’s a pretty rare car also. It’s a four-door Unimog, which, they’re tough to find. We also have another Unimog over there.

Mark “Stretch” Batchelor drivingthenation.com: how did you – go ahead.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: Oh, it’s a little bit different from the two that – ah, this one’s a lot different from the one-two that are…

Speaker 2: I like the minivan. I don’t know how well it has four wheels, but it looks pretty nice.

Lou Ann Hammond drivingthenation.com: Well. They’re calling it the Swiss Army Van.

Speaker 2: Tell them what it is.

Kid 1: It’s a DoKa 404 Unimog. It’s for off-roading.

Mark “Stretch” Batchelor drivingthenation.com: For off-roading?

Kid 1: Yes.

Mark “Stretch” Batchelor drivingthenation.com: You guys like these vehicles?

Kid 1: Yes

Kid 2: Yes, a lot.

Mark “Stretch” Batchelor drivingthenation.com: Do you like the gas mileage?

Kid 1: No.

Kid 2: I don’t know. I don’t think so.

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Lou Ann Hammond

Lou Ann Hammond is the CEO of Carlist and Driving the Nation. She is the co-host of Real Wheels Washington Post carchat every Friday morning and is the Automotive, energy correspondent for The John Batchelor Show and a Contributor to Automotive Electronics magazine headquartered in Korea. Hammond is a founding member of the Women's World Car of the Year #WWCOTY, and board member of the Women in Automotive.