Its cab was also used by Mercedes-Benz of North America, who confusingly offered it with inline-six or -five engines as the LP series beginning in 1985.

The first models to be released were construction site vehicles, followed in 1974 by a version with a 600 mm longer sleeper cabin.

[3] A fourth cab variant above the L-Fahrerhaus, the GR-Fahrerhaus now was a true long-distance cabin with a raised roof and wardrobe locker.

Mercedes expanded the range of engines by a new top option, the OM 442 LA, a 320 kW (435 PS; 429 hp) V8 with turbo charger and intercooler with 14.6 liters of displacement.

The dash board received more modern-looking rocker switches instead of the previous push buttons.

This was protested, among others, by workers at Magirus-Deutz, leading to 7,000 Mercedes orders being replaced with units by that manufacturer (or its successor Iveco, respectively).

The 1017 model designation stands for the maximum gross weight (10 tonnes) and the engine power (170 PS).

Vehicles with selectable all-wheel drive are termed 1017A and carry the army designation "tmil gl" for "teilmilitarisiert geländegängig" (partially militarized, cross-country capable).

Early models were "yellow olive", later ones received a colour called "bronze green" or the three-shade camouflage pattern.

The middle seat can be folded to make a platform, allowing a machine-gunner to man the roof hatch.

For more efficient use of the available space, the rear windows have been replaced with additional bustles for the soldiers' personal equipment.

The engine is the Mercedes-Benz OM352 A, a water-cooled six-cylinder in-line diesel with turbocharger and integrated compressor, producing 127 kW/172 hp at 2,800 rpm from a displacement of 5,675 cc.

Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a pneumatic, synchronized 5-speed gearbox and a hydraulic single-disc dry clutch.