MAN - Danish Army Vehicles Homepage

MAN

The MAN company was founded in 1908 with the merger of Maschinenfabrik Augsburg and Maschinenfabrik Nuernberg into Maschinenfabrik Augsburg and Maschinenfabrik Nuernberg (MAN).
In 1915 the company made Saurer trucks under license in a former Saurer plant in Lindau.
In 1916 the company was named Kraftwagenwerke MAN-Saurer GmbH, and the license-built Saurers were produced until 1918.
The world's first Diesel engine with direct injection was developed by MAN in 1923, and the first truck to use it was shown at the Berlin Shown in 1924, but it was not until 1927 the engines were offered for the public.
MAN started development of a turbo charger for diesel engines in 1934.
The Austrian ÖAF (Östericher Automobilfabrik) was acquired in 1936. For a period ÖAF produced axles for MAN, but during WW II ÖAF assembled 4 x 4 t ton military trucks for the Wehrmacht.
MAN´s production facilities was severely damaged during the war, but some production was resumed with a 5 tom model in 1945.
The first German truck with turbo charging and the first V8 diesel engine was produced by MAN in 1951.
In 1955 truck production was transferred to a new factory in Munich.
ÖAF operated as a autonomous division during the 1950´s and 1960´s, but came under closer MAN control in the early 1970´s when it also absorbed Gräf & Stift.
A program of technical co-operation with Saviem began in 1966, under which Saviem began using MAN engines and MAN used Saviem´s new tilting cab.
The Hungarian RABA of Györ built MAN under license from 1970, renewing a association that had begun in the 1930´s.
A similar agreement was formed with Romanian Autocamioane Brasov from 1971. These trucks were marketed as DAC.
MAN took over Büssing Automobilwerke in 1972. Büssing was a Braunschwieg based company, set up by Henrich Büssing in 1903. Throughout the conpany´s life emphasis was laid on truck manufacture.
During the early 1970´s MAN developed a rigid eight-wheeler aimed for the UK marked, and many European countries adopted the type.
A joint development program with VW concerning light vehicles was set up during the 1970´s. The result was the MT-range using the VW LT cab.
The Danish B&W Diesel was taken over in 1980.
Alongside the two traditional Austrian manufacturers, ÖAF-Gräf & Stift and STEYR (taken over in 1991), and MANAS in Turkey the MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Subgroup now has two new subsidiaries: ERF Ltd. from the UK and the Polish manufacturer STAR, both taken over in year 2000. This international set-up comprises manufacturing, assembly and sales companies.
The TG-A series was awarded "Truck of the year" in 2001.
Co-operation with Scania regarding production of parts for truck production began in April 2003.