When it came out in 1955, the L319 really showed a strong identity. The Mercedes L319 was designed to meet the needs of pickup and delivery traffic, perhaps the sweet spot of competitors, such as Hanomag or Borgward. Production of the flatbed, van and tipper versions of the Mercedes L319 began in September 1956 at the Sindelfingen plant; the minibus version was built at the Mannheim plant.