There are only 46 official Mercedes-Classic Partners in Germany – and Lorinser Classic from Waiblingen near Stuttgart is one of them. The spacious showrooms are always worth a visit, with a number of interesting classic cars on display at all times – usually with a star on the hood of course. But this exciting rare specimen is simply in a league of its own and also has a unique history.
“When it comes to cars, it really has to be Mercedes for me,” explains classic car enthusiast and Managing Director Marcus Lorinser: “But we could simply not resist this striking piece of history from the 1960s. And our visitors feel the same, by the way: The T7 hardly ever gets ignored.”
Even seasoned classic car fans draw a blank when it comes to the manufacturer Bungartz from Munich. 34 HP? VW engine? Cabriolet? But if you are now thinking “Beetle”, you are way off the mark. The fact is: The vehicle from 1964 is by far the slowest vehicle in the Lorinser Classic showroom. But that does not keep the “Green Rocket” from stealing the show from its neighbours such as the Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 Coupé. Maybe it is the famous previous owner? After all, the classic car was “employed” by the legendary TSV 1860 Munich football club and earned its keep on the pitch of the famous Grünwalder Stadium.
But in contrast to the creations from the Sportservice Lorinser tuning department of the company – which are also very popular with sports stars – the Bungartz T7 was never driven by any of the players. It probably would have been much too slow for them. As a narrow-gage tractor, its task was to care for the grass. As it was not used for any other heavy-duty tasks, it never had road approval and is therefore mechanically almost in as-new condition.
The appearance of the agricultural vehicle, however, had suffered quite a bit and become worn over the years. But after extensive restoration work, the tractor now looks as good as new, despite its 56 years. In addition to the paintwork, the electrical system and the tires were also replaced, among other things. After that, it no longer had to work, but was parked in a dry garage.
An overview of work carried out can be found in the Lorinser Classic vehicle profile: https://www.lorinser-classic.de/verkauf/bungartz-t-7/. At €9,900, the tractor is one of the more affordable classics, in spite of its excellent overall condition.
The history of the Bungartz brand, which no longer exists, is highly interesting. It was founded in Munich in the 1930s and only lasted until 1974. Between these two dates, many smaller soil tilling machines were manufactured, which were also popular abroad. 40 percent of the products were exported into over 60 countries. While machines were sold as far as the USA, the brand established a special dominance in the Mediterranean region.
A true gem from the Sixties – The Bungartz was the star on the football pitch
