Opel Blitz Maultier 2t, Sd.Kfz. 3
The Maultier is a typical wartime product, manufactured by Klöckner, Ford (in Cologne and Amsterdam) and Opel. This particular Maultier is derived from the Opel Blitz. The tracked chassis was initially (from 1942 onwards) mainly made from the running gear of British weapons carriers that the Germans had captured on the beaches of Dunkirk. In this Opel Maultier, the wheels come from a Lloyd carrier. Only when the supply of so-called "war booty" decreased did Opel (as well as Ford and Klöckner) switch to the running gear of their own Panzer I, which had meanwhile been found to be too light for combat. Incidentally, the Maultier was not necessarily a factory product, as ordinary Opels were also converted into Maultiers in the field.
