The L 1113 was the renamed continuation of Mercedes-Benz’s successful short-hood medium-duty truck line, emerging from the earlier Type 322 during the 1963 reorganization of Mercedes-Benz commercial-vehicle model designations. It became one of the best-known members of the company’s classic Kurzhauber family, a cab-over/short-hood design that balanced maneuverability, service access, and durability for demanding work in construction, municipal service, haulage, and export markets.
In period context, the model reflected Mercedes-Benz’s postwar push to create trucks that could satisfy tightening European road regulations while still carrying useful loads on long-distance and industrial duty. The short-hood series proved especially adaptable, appearing in multiple body styles and applications, from basic cargo trucks and tippers to special-purpose chassis for firefighting and other utility uses. As the model family evolved, Mercedes-Benz progressively moved short-hood truck production to the new Wörth plant beginning in the mid-1960s, where the series continued as part of the company’s broader commercial-vehicle expansion.
The 1113 nameplate is also closely associated with Mercedes-Benz’s robust diesel heritage. The model family’s era coincided with the wider adoption of direct-injection diesel technology in medium-duty trucks, a major step that helped define the reputation of these vehicles for efficiency and longevity. Outside Europe, the truck became especially influential in export and local-assembly markets, where its simple, hardy engineering made it a long-lived workhorse and, in many countries, an enduring classic. Production of this model line ended in 1984, closing a particularly important chapter in Mercedes-Benz truck history.