Mercedes-Benz 320 WK
From 1938 onwards, Daimler-Benz (Stuttgart-Untertürkheim) produced the Mercedes-Benz 320 WK, a heavy-duty Kübelwagen based on the civilian Typ 320 chassis (W142). The designation WK stood for Wehrmachts-Kübelwagen. The vehicle was powered by a side-valve inline six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 3,208 cc and an output of 78 hp – considerably more powerful than most other light military vehicles of the period. The 320 WK featured four doors, which could be removed for field use, a folding canvas top and wide off-road tyres. It seated up to five and was primarily employed as a staff and command car for senior officers. A total of approximately 1,764 units were built by 1940, a modest number compared to mass-produced vehicles such as the VW Kübelwagen. It was precisely this exclusive character that made the 320 WK a distinctive presence in the Wehrmacht's vehicle fleet.
