This 1978 Unimog U1300L (chassis 43511510000869) is a bit of a mish-mash with a U1500 cab and 5.7 liter OM352A turbodiesel six cylinder, but overall seems like a good driver that’s not too clean to use as originally intended. These later body style ‘Mogs are relatively rare in the US compared to the earlier, more rounded 404, and we think this one would look great parked next to a W124 or W201 or our own front door. Find it here on eBay in La Junta, Colorado for $28,500 OBO.

The rear cab wall and pillars seem to indicate it was originally painted a minty green, and the seller says that the red it currently wears dates to 2006 or so. The bottom, front corner of the driver’s side shows some rust and cracking, with some more evident on the passenger side B-pillar—both said to be former sites of repair. Overall, though, the truck looks pretty solid and straight for a heavy duty workhorse. The bed is said to have fresh one inch thick plywood, and the whole thing has been covered in spray-on bedliner.

Inside the minimal but appealingly industrial switchgear, instrumentation, and controls seem to be built to withstand several more decades of use. A commanding view over the short hood looks like it’d be a lot of fun in traffic, and seats appear to be air-sprung to compensate for what’s likely to be quite a stiff ride.

The motor isn’t pictured, but an odometer shot shows 116,359 kilometers—virtually the break-in period for an MB diesel, but being from a different cab we’re not sure how accurate that figure is. Still, the seller quotes 72k miles, approximately the same number in English, so we’d want to clear this up before bidding. Shifts are through a manual 8-speed, and portal axles give some seriously impressive ground clearance. The huge 365/80R20 Continental tires are said to have about 70% tread remaining and fill out the big arches very nicely.

We wish we had an excuse to own a Unimog, but based on the handful of freshly waxed ones we’ve seen running around suburban California streets over the years it’s apparent many don’t need one. We hope this one’s put to good use though, and imagine seeing it axle deep in mud or crawling up a craggy 45 degree slope.