Latest Auto News Blog: Mercedes Unveils Luxurious New Actros Trust Edition Semi For Euro-Trash Truckers [Mercedes Benz Actros]

Apparently the luxury car market was at just the level of saturation necessary for Daimler to shift it's steely blue eyes further up the size scale, with a new on-off special edition semi, the Mercedes Benz Actros 1860 Trust Edition. The name's based on the "Trucks you can Trust" ad campaign associated with Benz heavy trucks and it's not just a silly name. This special edition truck has been customized into the ultimate trucker's paradise by Proceda, a German design firm. Most of the ridiculous excess lives in the cabin, with "bordeaux-red" leather, chrome trim, and fancy door inserts. The most ridiculous part? Perhaps it's Proceda upholsterer Stefan Jörg using a special sewing machine to produce the stitching for the distinctive honeycomb design on the seats. If not, then check out the Trust Edition carpet on the engine tunnel and the floor mats — both are equally stylish. We suppose this is the perfect way to celebrate the downturn in the heavy truck industry.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks: trucks you can trust

* Customer satisfaction the top priority
* High-class workmanship: Trust Edition of the new Actros
* The "Trust Edition" – high-class workmanship from Mercedes-Benz Trucks

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz Trucks appeared at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover backed by the brand promise "Trucks you can trust". This claim – founded on the legendary quality of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles – acts as a strong incentive for the more than 40,000-strong workforce employed by the Mercedes-Benz Trucks organisation world-wide. Around 600,000 Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks in more than 100 countries live up to this claim day after day by displaying quality and reliability, whether it be on the road or on the construction site. Not forgetting the many other Mercedes-Benz trucks, such as the Atego and the Axor, all of which can be traced back to the legendary vehicles that have enabled Mercedes-Benz to establish such an enviable reputation during the course of a truck-building history that stretches back more than 110 years.

The findings of market research conducted in Europe underpin the "Trucks you can trust" claim. The Mercedes-Benz Actros, for instance, is the truck model with the lowest number of failures – "immobility cases" as they are known – in its competitive environment. And Mercedes-Benz trucks also come out on top when it comes to vehicle availability.
In-house assessments confirm what customers have been saying. By way of example, the number of quality complaints has fallen by more than half since the mid-1990s, bettering the legendary quality of the SK (heavy-class) trucks, for example.

Quality and reliability are top of the agenda at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. In an unprecedented reliability initiative, all vehicle-technology complaints – right down to details such as the door catches or the pivoting steps on the construction-sector models – are assessed by the Mercedes-Benz Trucks management team. Technical measures are then implemented and monitored over a long period to ensure their long-term effectiveness. The aim is to offer customers maximum availability and maximum vehicle usage, both now and in the future. "Trucks you can trust" is the guiding principle behind the customer-oriented stance adopted across the board within the company – from development, production and sales to service in the workshops.

"With the 'Trucks you can trust' brand promise, Mercedes-Benz is displaying its unwavering commitment to the quality and reliability of its products and services and to fairness in its dealings with customers. After all, vehicles and business partners that can be counted on in any situation are at the heart of the transport business," Hubertus Troska, head of the Mercedes-Benz Trucks business unit at Daimler AG, emphasised.

The "Trust Edition" – high-class workmanship from Mercedes-Benz Trucks

Stuttgart – Mercedes-Benz Trucks appeared at the International Commercial Vehicle Show (IAA) in Hanover backed by the brand promise "Trucks you can trust". One shining example of legendary Mercedes-Benz quality is the "Trust Edition". This Actros 1860 model is a special edition that serves as a symbol in many respects. The Trust Edition combines historical design allusions with state-of-the-art technology – a prime example of intrinsic value and sustainability in the truck-building industry.

The green-painted cab and the chassis finished in red, not to mention the bordeaux-red interior appointments, hark back to the classic colours used for commercial vehicles in the economic-miracle years and thus pay homage to the long tradition of Mercedes-Benz Trucks. Chrome elements, high-value details and the finest materials make for quality that people can actually feel and touch. At the heart of the one-off special-edition model is the reliable and economical technology used for the new Actros.

The Trust Edition was produced at Proceda – the renowned construction, modelmaking and design firm based in Weissach, around 20 kilometres west of Stuttgart. "In 15 years of prototype building, we have achieved a great deal. But this was almost without doubt our biggest project", says Proceda team leader Jörg Rudolf. It is immediately apparent that the Trust Edition is something very special indeed – on account of its unique colour combination: classic truck green is paired with satin black aprons and an oxblood-red chassis along with decorative strips in the same colour, all perfectly complemented by the distinct hub caps for the aluminium wheels. The rims of the front and rear wheels are painted in matt black, the hubs in oxblood red. At the front end, meanwhile, the crowning glory is a chrome trim on the grille, which lends the truck a contemporary feel.

Proceda created a special clay model to enable the roof lamp brackets for the auxiliary headlamps to be produced. Likewise, the aerodynamic side panelling for the Trust edition is custom-designed for this model. Other noteworthy features include the perforated sheet-metal catwalk between the cab and the fifth-wheel coupling, the latter boasting a specially designed leather cover. Technical refinements also abound, a case in point being the front camera which is fitted in place of the front mirror. Not to mention the chrome-plated "Trust Edition" lettering on the front-end flap and side panelling.

Cab interior boasting fine leather appointments

Inside the cab, perhaps the most eye-catching feature of all is the opulent dark- red leather adorning the steering wheel, the door panels, the stowage areas and, of course, the seats. "We spent a great deal of time looking for a top-quality product in this classic shade", says Proceda upholsterer Stefan Jörg. He used a special sewing machine to produce the stitching for the distinctive honeycomb design. The Trust Edition carpet on the engine tunnel and the floor mats are equally stylish.

Otherwise the cockpit is finished in black, apart from the surrounds, which are in classic truck green. The bed has an elegant Alcantara cover, also displaying a honeycomb pattern, while captivating chrome highlights feature on the instrument panel. The centre compartment has an aluminium frame. And the "Trust Edition" lettering can once again be seen on the dash support in front of the co-driver's seat. Jörg Rudolf is proud of this exceptional vehicle produced in his workshop: "Everything about it is classic Mercedes: solid, high-quality, reliable. Simply high-class workmanship."