Two Mercedes-Benz truck legends return to the Dakar Rally as part of the Völkel team

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• Two legendary "Fast Assistance" Mercedes-Benz NG 2636 6x6 trucks on the way in the Saudi Arabian desert
• The Völkel Dakar Team will take part in the prestigious Dakar Classic Rally for the first time in 2024
• The two trucks from 1986 and 1987 are equipped with an impressive V10 engine with a displacement of 18.5 liters and an output of 360 hp

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Riad - The world's toughest rally is still running until 19 January. It’s not just for modern vehicles, but also for historic Dakar vehicles that are competing for the podium in the Dakar Classic. The Völkel Dakar Team will take part in the prestigious Dakar Classic Rally for the first time in 2024. The team will be competing with two legendary "Fast Assistance" Mercedes-Benz NG 2636 6x6 trucks, known for their robustness and performance.

The two trucks were originally delivered to the Mitsubishi Dakar Team in 1986 and in 1987. They are equipped with an impressive V10 engine, providing 18.5 liters of displacement and delivering 360 hp of performance. With a maximum design speed of 125 km/h and 6x6 all-wheel drive, these vehicles are ideally equipped for the challenges of the Dakar Rally.

The vehicles were used in the Dakar Rally every year from their launch until 2009. After this long and successful career, they were sold to JDM Catering and used in the Africa Race (Paris to Dakar) until 2020.

In 2020, the vehicles were taken over by Rally Raid Service GmbH, managed by Jörg Sand and Bastian Klausing. With the support of experienced Mercedes-Benz truck partners, the vehicles were restored and prepared for future races.

The trucks are not only known for their technical specifications, but also for the celebrities who drove them. These include Dakar winner Henry Magne (co-pilot) and Dakar technical manager Thierry Viadot. They are legends in the eyes of every Dakar fan and widely known throughout the organization.

The two Mercedes trucks are indispensable for the Völkel Dakar Team at the 2024 Dakar Rally. They serve the service team, supported by TV presenter, race car driver and drummer Lina van de Mars. The Völkel Dakar team is on track thanks to the excellent support. After the prologue and the first three stages, the vehicle driven by Jörg Sand and his co-driver Patrick Diemer came in an impressive 9th place.

About Völkel:

With over 100 years of experience in screw tap production and a passion for thread cutting, Völkel has established itself as one of the world’s leading manufacturers and stockists of standard threading tools. Today, customers in over 70 countries rely on Völkel quality.

Based in Remscheid in the Bergisches Land region in the west of Germany, Völkel was established as a company in 1990 following a merger of Tom Carrington & Co. Ltd., a company established in 1915, and Völkel KG, established in 1980. The main shareholders are the Völkel (based in Remscheid) and Carrington (based in Birmingham) families.

More than 12,000 different threaded products are in stock – in any shape and size. The company stocks almost any international thread standards.