401 which was built between 1953 and 1956 was tried and tested up to ten thousand times. The special features of the U 401, of which 11,446 units were produced, were its forward position of the driver’s cabin which had a split windscreen and folding canopy top, and its four-wheel drive on wheels of equal size. Its portal axles for good ground clearance and a small plank bed for transporting equipment and loads were also valued.