1982 Mercedes-Benz 608 D Vehicle Transporter, Coachwork by Ruthmann Registration no. Not UK registered Chassis no. 4461

• Commissioned and originally owned by Porsche
• Left-hand drive
• 84.5bhp diesel engine
• Offered for restoration

The unusual vehicle transporter offered here was commissioned by Porsche from the specialist manufacturer Ruthmann of Gescher-Hochmoor, Germany (the company is still trading) and used to transport sports cars in and around its factory at Stuttgart. Known to its maker as a Type SD 875 'Schrähubwagen' (inclined pallet truck) this transporter features a ingenious collapsible rear suspension arrangement that lowered the rear of the flatbed to facilitate the loading of vehicles, which are pulled on board by means of an electric winch. Amazingly, this adaptation also necessitated converting the truck to front-wheel drive! Copies of the original order paperwork and specification details are on file together with a copy of the original German registration document.

Ruthmann's converted truck is based on Mercedes-Benz's 'T2' commercial vehicle platform, which was first introduced in 1967. Box van, flatbed truck, minibus, and other variants were offered and used for a wide variety of applications: delivery vans, builders' vans/trucks, fire brigade and rescue vehicles, post office delivery vans, etc, etc. This particular truck belongs the T2's first generation (1967-1986) and is powered by an 84.5bhp diesel engine. Known as the 'Düsseldorf Transporter' after where it was made, the T2 proved to be immensely successful, some 450,000 having been sold by the time the second generation arrived in 1987.

The vendor advises us that the engine runs and benefits from a new battery and fuel pump and that the chassis is solid, but otherwise this vehicle's mechanical condition in not known. The odometer reading is 132,726 kilometres, though we have no means of verifying its accuracy. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, this unusual commercial Mercedes-Benz would – once restored – be ideal transport for any historic racing team, particularly one (given the truck's origins) campaigning a Porsche from the same or an earlier era.