Arthur Spriggs and Sons’ Mercedes-Benz Actros Edition 1 is ‘a driver’s dream’

The first of just 35 Mercedes-Benz Actros Edition 1 tractor units to be delivered to a UK customer has taken to the road by Arthur Spriggs and Sons.

The Edition 1 comes from the fifth-generation Actros range, and production has been restricted to just 400 examples worldwide.

Arthur Spriggs’ truck wears a special livery that highlights the its recent 100th anniversary.

Manging director, Chris Spriggs, Arthur Spriggs and Sons, said: “I’ve been in this business for 40 years and there’s not much that gets me excited these days.

“When I set eyes on this truck for the first time, though, my reaction was ‘Wow! Now that really is special’.”

All new Actros models are offered as standard with a Mercedes-Benz Safety Pack. This incorporates the latest-generation Active Brake Assist 5 emergency braking system, which offers improved pedestrian recognition capability compared to the previous version, together with Proximity Control Assist and a driver’s airbag.

Included on the truck’s exhaustive specification list are:

• Driving Package with electric roller sun visor, leather-trimmed steering wheel, and more;

• Comfort Package with shaving mirror and refrigerator, as well as ambience lighting;

• Media Package with sound system, notebook bracket, and extra sockets;

• Stowage Package including table, shelving, and drawer beneath the instrument panel;

• ExtraLine, with LED position lamps, LED indicators and welcome light.

Driver, Andy Quinn, said: “I’m still pinching myself, what an amazing truck.

“I’ve come out of a 510 hp Actros GigaSpace which was a great drive and never let me down, but the Edition 1 is something else altogether.

“Everything about this truck is state-of-the-art. MirrorCam is a real step forward in terms of safety, not least because it eliminates a major ‘blind spot’, while my seat and bunk are unbelievably comfortable.

“I love the way it looks too. It’s obvious that the driver was the number one priority for Mercedes-Benz when it designed the Edition 1.” 

Quinn was rewarded with the keys to the truck after 18 years of service.

Its black leather-trimmed cab interior – including door handles with contrasting topstitching – has a polished and brushed aluminium dashboard badge that confirms it as ‘One of 400’ Edition 1s.

He can choose from no fewer than eight colours of ambience ceiling lighting, while an unbroken night’s sleep is assured thanks to a bed that measures an industry-leading 900 mm wide – described by Andy as “a bunk-and-a-half” – and wraparound curtain for privacy.