Laurin & Klement flatbed
Year of Manufacture: 1914–1920 Power: 38 hp Displacement: 4,713 cm3
Number of Cylinders/Valves: 4/2
Condition: drivable Catalogue Number: 168
Before World War I, the product range of the L & K automobile factory was already very broad. In addition to the rapidly developing production of passenger cars, the company also began manufacturing trucks. They were well aware that this segment had a great future and was economically attractive. Freight transport was gaining importance.
In 1914, the factory introduced a heavy truck to the market under the designation MS. The vehicle had a classic design — engine placed behind the front axle, a four-speed gearbox roughly in the middle, and a driveshaft powering the rear axle. The engine displacement was 4.7 liters with a power output of 38 hp, achieving a maximum speed of 16 km/h.
It featured a robust ladder-frame chassis, riveted from U-profiles. Many modifications for various uses were built on this frame, including buses of different types for mass passenger transport, flatbed trucks of all sizes, special superstructures such as fire trucks, cargo haulers, and others. The payload capacity of these vehicles was 1,500–2,000 kg.
The vehicle in our collection is a classic flatbed truck with versatile use. It is also notable for having appeared in several films set during World War I. Our example is fully operational and starts with a single turn of the hand crank.
Other vehicles in our collection built on the same MS chassis include the famous fire truck, which has participated in many events. Nearing completion is the restoration of a very rare first-series MS model that served for beer barrel delivery — colloquially called the “beer truck.”
