The moment was witnessed by the 2,000 workers of the plant, as well as by political officials, and businessmen. As soon as it was off the assembly lines, the truck was handed over to the Berlin Landesverkehrswacht traffic safety organization.
Coincidence or not, the anniversary 1 millionth vehicle built in Ludwigsfelde happens to be equipped with the 1 millionth engine manufactured at the nearby Mercedes-Benz plant in Berlin.
“Our plant has had a very eventful history and things have not always been easy,” said Michael Humpert, plant manager and managing director of Mercedes-Benz Ludwigsfeld.
“That’s why we are particularly happy that we can jointly celebrate this production milestone today. I would therefore like to thank our employees for their dedication.”
Ludwigsfelde was initially built as an aircraft engine plant in 1936. It was destroyed during the war and then rebuilt in 1965, when it also started series production of two IFA commercial vehicle models: the W 50 and L 60. Roughly 600,000 such vehicles were manufactured there until the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. The first Mercedes-Benz van (LN2) rolled off the production line in Ludwigsfelde in early 1991.
Since 2006, the Ludwigsfelde facility has been producing the current Mercedes-Benz Sprinter model, assembled on a new manufacturing line equipped with state-of-the-art automated production equipment.
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