MAN Truck & Bus
1915 - PRESENT DAY
History
MAN Truck & Bus SE
Our beginnings
Entrepreneur Ludwig Sander together with engineer Jean Gaspard Dollfus founded the first direct predecessor company to MAN, the Sander’sche Maschinenfabrik (Sander’s Machine Shop), in Augsburg in 1840. In 1844 this was renamed to C. Reichenbach’sche Maschinenfabrik – after printing machine pioneer Carl August Reichenbach who made the company famous with his innovative invention. A further renaming to Maschinenfabrik Augsburg followed in 1857. In 1841 the Eisengießerei und Maschinenfabrik Klett & Comp was formed as a sister company in Nuremberg, but was renamed as Maschinenbau-Actiengesellschaft Nürnberg in 1873. By 1898 the companies in Augsburg and Nuremberg merged to form the Vereinigten Maschinenfabrik Augsburg und Maschinenbaugesellschaft Nürnberg A.G. – and in 1908 they ultimately branded themselves as Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG, abbreviated to M.A.N.
MAN’s roots additionally extend back to another, indirect predecessor company: the Eisenhütte St. Antony founded in 1758 in Oberhausen as the first company involved in heavy industry in the Ruhr. In 1808 this company merged with two other neighbouring ironworks to become Hüttengewerkschaft und Handlung Jacobi, Haniel & Huyssen. By 1873 that had transformed into the Gutehoffnungshütte, Aktienverein für Bergbau und Hüttenbetrieb, abbreviated to GHH. The ironworks become important to MAN from 1921: this was the year when it took over majority control of the financially stricken Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (M.A.N.). This merger guaranteed long term supplies of coal, iron and steel to Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG. After the end of the Second World War, GHH was broken up into three separate divisions at the instigation of the British occupying power, including the machinery and plant engineering division with its subsidiary M.A.N. The GHH Group was redeveloped and restructured in the mid 1980s. Independent divisions were spun off in the 1985/86 financial year, such as the commercial vehicle division, turbo and diesel division and the printing press division. This resulted in the GHH Group being reorganised under the name of its subsidiary MAN. The dots between the three company letters were dropped and the registered office was relocated from Oberhausen to Munich.
1915
The production of commercial vehicles starts at a small assembly plant in Lindau on Lake Constance. At this time the plant was still known as the M.A.N.-Saurer Truck Works – a joint venture with the Swiss company Adolph Saurer AG. Light cardan trucks were produced here, as well as heavier chain-driven vehicles. Just a year later commercial vehicle production was relocated from Lindau to Nuremberg.
Brochure for the M.A.N.-Saurer Truck Works
The first MAN truck with diesel fuel injection, 1924
Brochure for an MAN omnibus from 1928
Aerial photograph of the MAN plant in Nuremberg in the 1920s
1924
World début: MAN presented the world’s first diesel engine vehicle with fuel injection and an entirely new type of bus construction, built on a low-frame chassis.
1930
The first 3-axle and trolley buses were built by MAN in the 1930s. This was the most powerful heavy-duty diesel truck in the world at the time, with 140/150 HP. Along with the development of turbo chargers for diesel engines and the all-wheel drive for commercial vehicles, MAN introduced assembly-line production manufacturing.
Touring Berlin on an MAN bus in 1929
‘Einheitsdiesel’ (uniform diesel) all-wheel drive vehicle undergoing winter testing for the German armed forces in 1940
The MAN plant, destroyed in the war, in 1945
1939-45
The plants in Nuremberg were repeatedly targeted by air raids during the Second World War. Nevertheless, the production of civilian commercial vehicles was maintained for as long as possible. Alongside this, production was mainly focussed on tanks, and also buses and trucks to be used as military vehicles, e.g., the ‘Einheitsdiesel’ (uniform diesel) with all-wheel drive. At the end of 1944, the halls and production machinery were almost completely destroyed.
Journey through the history of truck production 1951
Take a trip into the past with MAN. The year is 1951. Have a look in the MAN production halls and see the original sequence of production for the manufacture of MAN F8 short-nose trucks. From the initial production step through to delivery.
MAN production halls in Nuremberg
1953
The legendary F8 short-nose trucks and buses in the MKN design with alligator engine compartment lid shape the image of the German streets during the time of the reconstruction and the start of the German ‘Wirtschaftswunder’ (economic miracle).
When it comes to off-road vehicles, it is mainly MAN’s agricultural tractors and the Ackerdiesel that are still used to some extent today, in agriculture and the timber industry.
An MAN MKN26 bus
The legendary MAN F8 short-nose truck out and about in the town
An MAN agricultural tractor in use
Press photo of the first MAN truck from the plant in Munich, 1955
1955
Up until 1954 the tractors, buses and trucks were built in Nuremberg. MAN moved to its new and bigger plant in Munich-Allach due to increasing levels of production. The first truck, a 515 L1, came off the assembly line here on 15 November 1955.
1965
The 100,000th truck comes off the assembly line after only ten years. The main image both on and off road for this decade was the powerful Hauber and cab over engine vehicle known as the ‘Pausbacke’.
The presentation of an MAN Hauber at the bauma trade fair in Munich
The 100,000th MAN truck comes off the assembly line in Munich
The Braunschweig lion of the Büssing company logo
‘Truck of the Year’ was first awarded to MAN for its MAN 19.280
1971
MAN took over the Büssing company at the beginning of the 1970s. This is how the Braunschweig lion found its way on to MAN's product logo. MAN entered into the production and sale of lightweight truck models in cooperation with the French commercial vehicle manufacturer Saviem and later on together with Volkswagen.
The MAN 19.280 was selected as ‘Truck of the Year’ in 1978 – many more distinctions were to follow.
The 1970s and 1980s saw MAN expanding, predominantly internationally.
The Munich-based commercial vehicle manufacturer also produced and sold trucks and buses in South Africa, the United States and Turkey. They were also able to achieve a considerable production capacity in Austria thanks to the takeover of the ÖAF, Gräf & Stift and Steyr brands.
With the G90, M90 and F90, MAN established a vehicle family consisting of a series of lightweight, medium-weight and heavy-duty trucks, which is still around today in a similar form.
The former MAN vehicle family: the G90, M90 and F90
MAN buses on the roads: at home and abroad
The MAN F90 – Truck of the Year 1987
Two MAN-VW G90s on the test track in 1981
An MAN SG 192 articulated bus out and about in the US
The MAN Lion’s Star FRH 442 coach awarded Coach of the Year
An insight into MAN bus production at the former Büssing plant
1992
MAN presents the MAN Lion's Star FRH 442 coach. It was awarded Coach of the Year in 1994. The bus production took place in the former Büssing plant in Salzgitter, which MAN had already taken over in 1971.
2000
MAN set new standards in the heavy-duty truck segment with the TGA at the turn of the century. In 2001, the new truck series was awarded the accolade ‘Truck of the Year’ and won the ‘iF product design award’. The takeover of the premium bus brand NEOPLAN took place in the same year.
The three generations of NEOPLAN buses
A new generation of engines – the D20 Common Rail engine
TGM, TGA and TGL: the MAN vehicle family in the lightweight, heavy-duty and middle-weight truck categories
2005
MAN presents the TGL and TGM; the new series of trucks in the lightweight and middle-weight categories. The introduction of the new generation of engines also took place at this time, with innovative Common-Rail-Systems and MAN HydroDrive® switchable all-wheel drives.
There was also continued success in the bus sector as the MAN Lion’s City was awarded ‘Bus of the Year’.
2007
MAN sets a new milestone in international transport solutions with the two new heavy-duty truck series; the TGX and TGS, as successors to the TGA series. The new models were awarded ‘Truck of the Year’ in 2008 and were nominated for the German Design Award. The V8 option with 680 HP was at the time the most powerful series truck in Europe.
Dual leadership: the TGX and TGS make up MAN’s new heavy-duty truck series
The MAN Lion‘s City Hybrid – the fourth generation of the hybrid buses goes into production
The MAN Lion's City Hybrid bus: out and about in European urban traffic, sustainably
The MAN hybrid buses out and about in European cities
2010
With the MAN Lion‘s City Hybrid, the fourth generation of the hybrid buses goes into series production. Thanks to its innovative hybrid drive concept the model can make fuel savings of up to 25%, and was awarded the ‘ÖkoGlobe’ and ‘Red Dot Design’ awards in 2011.
2012
MAN introduced its new Euro 6 exhaust-gas technology at the IAA in 2012. The revised TG series also got a facelift: the Lion moved for the first time to its position over the letters that make up the company logo, and from this point onwards was considerably more dynamic in terms of its form.
The MAN TG family following an innovative facelift
Insight into the production halls in Munich
Thanks to its custom-built driveline, the MAN TGX D38 is both powerful and economical
2014
MAN presents its newest flagship, the TGX D38. Its core element is the new D38 six-cylinder inline engine with a displacement of 15.2 litres and the option of either 520, 560 or 640 HP.
2016
World premières. Alongside the new NEOPLAN Tourliner and numerous upgrades to the TG series, the Munich-based group is stepping into the world of transporters for the first time. MAN is completing the lower end of its product range with the new MAN TGE, with a permissible gross weight between 3.0 and 5.5 tons. In doing so, MAN has become a full range supplier. On top of this, new concepts for electromobility and digital solutions are being introduced.
Best positioning: The new MAN truck family – full range from 3 to 44 tons
The NEOPLAN Tourliner is awarded the iF design award in 2017
The new MAN TG vehicles
A harmonious interplay of maximum output, the highest levels of efficiency and unbeatable performance. All found in a more self-assured design with optimised functionality. The following video will show you the new MAN. The best of all time. Have a look for yourself.
The new trucks from MAN – the best of all time
2017
MAN is embarking on a digital drive and launching several major projects in 2017: All trucks will be connected to the open, manufacturer-independent platform RIO. It makes it possible to standardize route planning, route optimization, and maintenance management for complex vehicle fleets. Building on this platform, MAN has also been offering its customers tailored digital solutions for MAN vehicles for the first time since 2018 under the name "MAN DigitalServices". This gives MAN customers access to their vehicle data in real time, regardless of location. In addition, the MAN Transport Solutions division is being established to support customers entering the field of electromobility with qualified expertise and tailored solutions.
RIO goes live, DigitalServices and MAN Transport Solutions launched
Premiere of the Lion's City E, eTGE, eTGM, CitE e-vehicles
2018
A world premiere: in addition to an all-electric MAN eTGM, MAN is also showing the first MAN eTGE, a battery-electric version of the new MAN Transporter, at the IAA 2018. MAN is thus one of the first manufacturers to present fully electric solutions for the entire range of city logistics between 3.5 and 26 tons. Since fall 2018, companies in Austria and Germany have been gathering experience with e-mobility in daily use with a small series of the MAN eTGM. MAN is also presenting the MAN CitE study at the IAA, an electrically powered city truck that is full of new ideas and creative solutions. Developed in just 18 months, the 15-ton truck is designed for inner-city distribution transport.
MAN is also launching its new generation of city buses - the Lion's City series offers future-proof solutions for all public transport challenges. With the completely newly developed diesel and gas engines, the new MAN EfficientHybrid System, and the all-electric MAN Lion's City E, the entire range of clean and efficient drive systems will be available from 2018.
2019
MAN wins the "Coach of the Year 2020" award, the most important accolade in the international bus press, for its MAN Lion's Coach. The jury of experts is enthusiastic about individual features such as the Lion's Coach's particularly efficient powertrain or its intelligent integration of the wheelchair lift above the front axle. The new MAN Lion's Coach was first presented to the public at Busworld 2017 in Kortrijk.
MAN is also conducting the world's first practical test of platooning technology in cooperation with DB Schenker and Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. In truck platooning, two or more vehicles drive electronically coupled behind each other at short intervals. This increases road safety and the slipstream effect enables fuel savings and reduces CO2 emissions.
Coach of the Year 2020
The new MAN Truck Generation
2020
On February 10, 2020, the new MAN Truck Generation was presented to the public for the first time in Bilbao, Spain. The new trucks are the result of five years of intensive development and a total of twelve million hours of passionate work by the 2,100 MAN employees directly involved in the project. What's new? Everything. The new truck generation sets standards in driver orientation, assistance systems and digital networking - and consumes up to eight percent less fuel.
Truck of the year 2021
The MAN TGX of the new MAN Truck Generation is the International Truck of the Year 2021. The ITOY Award is one of the most important prizes in the transport industry. It has been awarded by an international jury since 1977. From the point of view of the jurors, the MAN TGX clearly won the race, presenting itself as a true total package. It impressed with its efficiency and fuel economy, its driving comfort, and its intuitive operability of driving and multimedia functions.
Series production of the all-electric Lion's City E, which MAN had already presented at the IAA in 2018, will also start in 2020. The Lion's City E has been in production at MAN's Polish plant in Starachowice since October of this year.
