To people just looking at them on the road I think a lot of Mercedes 1418 credit went to vehicles with bigger engines. Without reading the badge on the side, that shape vehicle was universally known as a 1418 to the non-Mercedes world.
I don't know what percentage of Mercedes had different engines in Australia back in the day but when I was running trucks in Iraq it seemed the old Mercedes trucks (comprising 3/4 of the fleet) had a bewildering array of model badges indicating power and weight but all looked the same from 20 yards away.
If you run down this Wiki list it is a miracle the dealers and workshops could keep up with the different engines in the 60-80 period.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mercedes-Benz_trucks
From my decidedly dodgy memory, there were two engine options on the (generic) 1418 (L series).
The actual 1418 was a fourteen tonne GVM, 180 hp, two axle chassis. The chassis was often modified to three axle, usually 6x2. I don't know if the mods were ex-factory, importer/dealer or after market. These modifications would increase the GVM.
The 1418's big brother was the 1924, 19 tonne GVM and 240 hp on three axles. See where the model numbers come from?
I've never seen smaller L series but believe there was a L911 available overseas. I estimate 85~90% of the L series in this country were 1418 in 4x2, 6x2 or 6x4 guise. They were a robust and economical gadget, setting up many owner drivers.