Magirus

Iveco Magirus AG[1]
Type Aktiengesellschaft
Industry Automotive
Founded 1864 (As Magirus Kommanditist)
1974 (Magirus Deutz)
1983 (Iveco Magirus)
Founder(s) Dietrich Magirus
Headquarters Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Number of locations Production locations:
Germany:
Ulm, Weisweil & Görlitz
Austria: Graz
France: Chambéry
Italy: Brescia
Area served Worldwide
Key people
Products Trucks
Operating income €1.042 billion (2009)
Employees 2,100 (2009)
Parent Iveco S.p.A
Subsidiaries
  • Iveco Magirus Brandschutz-technik GmbH
Website iveco-magirus.com

Iveco Magirus AG[2] is a truck manufacturer based in Ulm, Germany, founded by Conrad Dietrich Magirus (1824–1895). The company began manufacturing fire-fighting vehicles in 1864. In the late 1910s, it started the production of trucks and buses. These vehicles developed a reputation for high engineering standards, able to operate under the most arduous conditions.

During World War II, Magirus Deutz was involved in producing gas vans, an extermination method devised by Nazi Germany to kill victims of the regime.[3] Gas vans were used, particularly at Chełmno extermination camp, until gas chambers were developed as a more efficient method for killing large numbers of people. The total number of gas van gassings is unknown. One German document dated June 5, 1942 in occupied Minsk indicates that from December 1941 to June 1942 3 gas vans were used to kill 97,000 civilians.

The company also invented the turntable ladder, as Magirus Leiter, which quickly became an essential item of fire brigade equipment worldwide.

The parent company was Klöckner Humbolt Deutz AG, maker of the well-known Deutz engines, so the brand commonly used was Magirus Deutz, and for a short time Klöckner. The logo of Magirus Deutz was a stylised M with a sharp, long center point to represent the tower of the Ulm Cathedral.

In 1975, Magirus was purchased by Iveco which continued producing some Magirus trucks for a short while under the name "Iveco Magirus" before abandoning it completely in most countries. However, Iveco trucks were sold under the Magirus brand in Germany and other European and Middle Eastern markets until the end of the 1980s. Nowadays the Magirus brand is only used for the company's fire fighting equipment section, but not for the whole fleet of manufactured trucks anymore.

Iveco Magirus is one of the leading manufacturers of fire fighting equipment. Basis for the fire fighting trucks are mainly Iveco's own chassis and engines, but also platforms of other truck manufacturers are used to build up the fire fighting equipment. With its Magirus brand turntable ladder, Iveco Magirus is the unrivalled global market leader.

Most trucks from Magirus are also known as Magirus Deutz because the air-cooled engine came from the factory of Deutz AG. These engines are still being sold for agricultural and marine use.

Contents

Products

Current products

Gallery

Timeline

See also

Germany portal
Companies portal

References

External links

Official sites