Walter J. Spielberger

There's a common fallacy in Britain, that we British are great at thinking of new ideas and new products, but we somehow lack the foresight, entrepreneurship and sheer nous to make them successful world-beaters. Well, there's a vehicle described in this pamphlet that shows that even the economic powerhouses of the world can slip up. It's the Daimer-Benz (I've seen it described also as a Mercedes-Benz) G5; an off-road, 4x4, 4-wheel steering vehicle that was created as a private venture in 1936-37. The company tried to sell it to the Wehrmacht; they had a few for evaluation, then said that it was fine but they didn't need such a vehicle. Daimler-Benz ended up selling the rest to rich customers who wanted something to go out shooting with, or something to take to darkest corners of the world on expeditions. (One is preserved in the Technical Museum at Speyer in Germany. They're shocked and surprised that it never caught on as well.)

Of course, after the war we had the Jeep and the Land Rover. And now we have more SUVs and other leisure 4x4s than we can shake a stick at. But the Germans were first and had no idea how to market it. We are not alone!… (más)