Multicar 22 (1964)

In 1920, engineer Arthur Ade founded the ADE-Werk in Waltershausen, which manufactured agricultural machinery.
With the establishment of the GDR, the plant was nationalized and became part of the IFA unification and adopted the name VEB Fahrzeugwerk Waltershausen. In the mid-1950s, production of the Diesel-Ameise DK 3 transport truck began here, and in 1956 the Dieselkarre DK 2004 (DK 4) entered production, which from December 1959 was called Multicar 21. The next model produced
at the plant was the Multicar 22. Between 1964 and 1974, 42,500 of these light commercial vehicles were produced. Compared to its predecessors, the 25 model offered significantly improved driver comfort. It had an enclosed single-person cab located to the right of the engine. To reduce production costs, the headlights were adapted from a Trabant 601, while the steering wheel was adapted from a Wartburg 311. Multicar 22s were imported to Poland primarily in the self-dumping version, equipped with a box with high sides. These vehicles were used to transport fuel. Their compact dimensions allowed them to pass easily through narrow gateways. Municipal and technical services, on the other hand, used versions equipped with open load boxes and mechanical ladders. The Multicar 22 on display at the Gryf Museum of Military Technology is a very interesting example, dating back to the initial production period. Both the cargo box and the rear chassis structure are reminiscent of the older Model 21. In later examples, the cargo box had a different design,
and the undercarriage covers were also omitted. The non-opening windows in the cab doors are also characteristic of the first series of Multicar 22s.