The first Mercedes-Benz truck range, presented in 1926, at the Berlin Motor Show (October) and at the 1927 International Motor Show for Trucks and Special Vehicles in Cologne (May) included three base models with loads of 1.5, 2.5 and 5 tons. Each model was available with a standard and low bezel case. The low chassis made sense, especially at the time, to make loading and unloading the vehicle easier. In addition, low chassis was used in the construction of buses. Models with standard chassis were L1, L2 and L5 (L stands for Lastwagen, the German word for a truck, and the number stands for rated load in tonnes). The low-frame models were the N1, N2 and NJ5/N5 (N stands for Niederwagen, the German word stands for low car). The trucks were equipped with 4-cylinder petrol engines (M14, M2 and M5) developing 45HP, 55HP and 70HP. Mercedes-Benz L1 and L2 were new models, but the Mercedes-Benz L5 truck was basically a continuation of the famous Benz 5CN truck, which was developed before the merger of the companies Benz & Cie and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft.

In 1927, Mercedes-Benz presented its first diesel engine (OM5), which immediately caused a sensation. It was the world's first six-cylinder diesel engine fitted to a commercial vehicle. Also from 1927, Mercedes-Benz offered the more powerful 6-cylinder petrol engines (M16, M26 and M36) developing 50HP, 70HP and 100 HP. The four-cylinder engines were discontinued just a year later. Therefore, in 1927–1928 most trucks of the L1, L2, L5 series were available with 4 or 6 cylinder engines. To differentiate this, 6-cylinder versions of trucks were sometimes referred to as L1/6 or N2/6, for example.

In 1927–1928, Mercedes-Benz expanded the range of truck models by adding the small L3/4 model with a payload of 750 kg (3/4 tons), developed from the Typ 200 Nuremberg passenger car, and a heavy truck model. Three-axis model N56 with a load carrying capacity of 7-9 tons. The payloads of the L1 and L2 models have been increased from 1.5 tons to 1.75 tons (model L1/N1) and from 2.5 to 3.0-4.0 tons (model L2/N2) with the new 6-cylinder engines. To fill the newly formed gap between the L1 and L2 models, Mercedes-Benz presented the new 2.5-tonne L45/N46 and (a little later) the 2.75/3.0-tonne L57/N58.