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Development of the le. Zgkw. 1t was started by the patent company Demag in 1934. The first prototype D ll 1 (Demag Liliput model 1) had a very short running gear with only three road wheels. One year later, the type D ll 2 followed. It had one additional pair of road wheels. About three to five exemplars of the third prototype D ll 3 were made in 1936. It had the final arrangement of the running gear with five road wheels per side. The radiator grille was similar to the later series vehicles. All three prototypes did not enter serial production. The type D 6 was introduced in 1937. Eight Exemplars of the D 6 Versuchsserie (testing series) were made followed by 60 exemplars of the D 6 0-Serie (pilot series). The whole arrangement of the vehicle corresponded widely to the later serial vehicles but the Versuchsserie had several differences compared to the 0-Serie. Some of these vehicles were used as chassis for the development of self-propelled anti aircraft guns. The further improved conclusion model D 7 entered serial production around October 1938. It had several detail changes and a new mudguard arrangement. The first vehicles were propelled by the Maybach NL 38 engine, but it was soon replaced by the stronger Maybach HL 42 engine. Approximately 13,850 vehicles were manufactured until November 1944 (possibly these numbers contain 310 D 7p chassis of the Sd. Kfz. 252/253 production). Due to the shortage of armoured superstructures, 80 D 7 p chassis were finished with a simple platform in February 1945. First the type D 7 got the official designation leichter Zugkraftwagen 1t (Sd. Kfz. 10), abbreviated le. Zgkw. 1t (Sd. Kfz. 10). The official introduction was published in the Kft. Anh. zum H.V.Bl. 1939 Teil C, Blatt 12 from 25th April 1939, No. 33. The initial version of the le. Zgkw. 1t was made until mid 1940. Later, it got the designation Ausf. A. Beginning in mid 1940, the Ausf. B of the le. Zgkw. 1t was manufactured. It had a strengthened rear with a strengthened towing hock so it had an improved towing capacity. Some of these vehicles had a compressed air tank on the rear for trailers and guns with air brake. Besides Demag, Adler, Büssing-NAG, Mechanische Werke Cottbus, MIAG, M.N.H. and Saurer were involved in the production of the le. Zgkw. 1t. During war, Peugeot, Renault, Lorraine, Panhard and SIMCA manufactured parts for the le. Zgkw. 1t.
Until 1939, the type D 7 p which had a running gear missing one pair of road wheels, was developed based on the type D 7. It was used as chassis for the leichte Schützenpanzerwagen (Sd. Kfz. 250) - a light APC, the leichte gepanzerte Munitionstransportwagen (Sd. Kfz. 252) - a light armoured ammunition carrier - and the leichte gepanzerte Beobachtungskraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 253) - a light armoured observation vehicle. The Sd. Kfz. 10 was developed as towing vehicle for light loads like the 3.7 cm Pak, the 2 cm Flak 30/38, the 7,5 cm le. Infantrie Geschütz 18 and the Sd. Ah. 32. Later, it was used as towing vehicle for the 5 cm Pak 38 and different Nebelwerfer (rocket launcher) types, too.
The special designs of the Nebeltruppe, the leichter Gasspürerkraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 10/1) - a light gas detecting vehicle, the leichter Entgiftungskraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 10/2) - a light decontamination vehicle - and the leichter Sprühkraftwagen (Sd. Kfz. 10/3) - a light spraying vehicle - were very rare. Besides these special vehicles, there were the Selbstfahrlafette (Sd. Kfz. 10/4) für 2 cm Flak 30 and the Selbstfahrlafette (Sd. Kfz. 10/5) für 2 cm Flak 38 self propelled AA vehicles. For the enlargement of the gun platform the side walls and the back wall could be hinged down. Except the armour shield of the AA gun these vehicles were not armoured. Later, the Sd. Kfz. 10/4 and 10/5 received armour plates in front of the radiator and the driver’s compartment. Beyond that, there were self-propelled anti tank guns with the 3.7 cm and 5 cm anti tank guns. However, these had not received separate Sd. Kfz. numbers.
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