The construction master

The post-war years were a time of upheaval: currency reform entered into force, the United States supplied aid for reconstruction under the Marshall Plan and Germany recovered from the devastating effects of the Second World War. A significant part in this was played by the new economic order that Ludwig Erhard presented at the beginning of the 1950s: the social market economy. Thereafter the economy celebrated a never before seen upswing. Industrial production rose by 185 percent up to 1963. This period is recorded in history as an economic miracle. And MAN has always been involved. 

Since presentation of the legendary F8 truck with its short bonnet at the international automotive exhibition in 1951, this lorry shaped the image on German roads. The technical data and the lorry's design were convincing. Unlike its competitors, the F8 had a shorter bonnet due to the V-shaped design of the eight-cylinder engine. Its headlights were installed in the wings. It could master a permissible laden weight of 19 to 22 tons and was the most powerful truck of its time. MAN set down a marker with the F8, both visually and in terms of performance – a sign of confidence, progress and a better future.

Facts

The short bonnet of the F8 won a silver medal at the Paris Motor Show in 1954 and thus became the model for other truck manufacturers.

From van to truck with steel dumping body: the various installation options for the F8 made this heavy truck suitable for many purposes during the reconstruction period.

The film “Nachts auf den Straßen” (At Night on the Streets) shown in German cinemas in 1952 also included the F8. The haulier was Hans Albers and Hildegard Knef played the main female role.