In the late 1950s and early 1960s the West German Technical Office for Armament and Military Purchases drew up requirements for a new range (or second generation) of vehicles for the army. Covering all weight classes and mobility levels, the Bundeswehrʼs second-generation requirement originally called for 62,000 vehicles (of all classes including cars and buses) including four-tonne 4x4, seven-tonne 6x6, and 10-tonne 8x8 trucks; 4x4 and 6x6 armoured amphibious load carriers; and an 8×8 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle.
