The IFA L60 was the last new lorry of East Germany. Introduced in 1987 as a provisional addition to the W 50 and intended eventually to replace it, it was built at the VEB Automobilwerke Ludwigsfelde for just over three years, until August 1990.
IFA L60 at a glance
| Maker | VEB Automobilwerke Ludwigsfelde |
|---|---|
| Production | 1987 to August 1990 |
| Name | Ludwigsfelde 60 Dezitonnen, a 6-tonne payload class |
| Role | provisional addition to the W 50, intended as its successor |
| Built | 20,289 |
| Special vehicles | also assembled at other plants |
| Design aims | ECE regulations, low fuel consumption, economy |
| Relation to the W 50 | outwardly similar, but a new development in many respects |
| Today | rare in Germany, with difficult parts supply |
based on one source (German Wikipedia).
History of the IFA L60
The L60 was conceived as the long-term replacement for the W 50, the lorry that had carried East Germany since 1965. Its name is an abbreviation of «Ludwigsfelde 60 Dezitonnen», the 60 decitonnes standing for a payload class of six tonnes. Series lorries came from the VEB Automobilwerke Ludwigsfelde, while special vehicles were also built at other plants.
When it appeared in 1987 the L60 was described as a provisional supplement to the W 50: the plan was to replace the older lorry step by step over the medium and long term. That never happened. Production stopped in August 1990, shortly after the political change, after a little over three years of building, and the W 50 remained in production until December of the same year.
The design was guided by ECE regulations, trends in commercial vehicle engineering, the demands of the market and the wish for low fuel consumption and economy. Although the L60 looks much like the W 50, in many respects it was a new development. Its starting point was the weaknesses of the older lorry, above all its low payload and modest engine power.
A total of 20,289 vehicles were built. The L60 is much rarer than the W 50 in Germany today, partly because fewer were made and partly because its more complicated technology makes spare parts harder to obtain.
Design and features
- Higher payload: designed around a six-tonne class, against the W 50’s five tonnes.
- New engineering: outwardly similar to the W 50 but largely redesigned to meet ECE rules and cut fuel consumption.
- Short life: built only from 1987 to August 1990, with 20,289 vehicles.
- Difficult ownership today: complex technology and scarce parts make surviving L60s harder to keep on the road than W 50s.
IFA L60 versions
- L60 series lorry: built at Ludwigsfelde.
- All-wheel-drive L60: the four-wheel-drive variant seen in the video below.
- Special vehicles: assembled at other plants on L60 chassis.
The L60 was meant to replace the IFA W 50, which instead outlived it. More lorries are in the IFA collection.
Video: IFA L60 4×4 (DDR)
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- IFA L60, German Wikipedia: production, concept, design aims
