The company Hubert Zettelmeyer of Konz near Trier started developing steam road rollers in 1908. In 1916, steam tractors were added to the range and in 1929 the first motorised rollers were built.
With the construction of the first motorways in Germany in the 1930s, Zettelmeyer's business grew and the company also wanted to produce tractors to make better use of its production capacity.
In 1935, Zettelmeyer presented its first agricultural tractor, the Z1, which was powered by a water-cooled 2-cylinder Deutz F2M313 diesel engine rated at 20 hp.
Essential features were the frameless construction, pneumatic tyres and a large bench with room for two to three people. The transmission with four forward and one reverse gear and all other parts were manufactured by Zettelmeyer himself. To start the tractor, it had to be switched on using a fuse.
A road tractor designated Z2 followed in 1936, which was identical to the agricultural tractor in terms of basic construction. The tractor had continuous front and rear mudguards and reached a top speed of 20 km/h. The tractors were very well received by the trade, so that almost 500 tractors were built and sold after just one year.
In 1940, a new design of the Z1 was introduced with a modified radiator and an output of 22 hp. This tractor was again powered by a Deutz diesel engine, this time the more modern F2M414. As diesel became increasingly scarce during World War II, Zettelmeyer equipped its tractor with a wood gas generator from 1942 onwards. After the end of the war, Zettelmeyer's factory in Konz was very badly damaged, so tractor production did not resume until 1949.
The modified Z1 tractor was powered by a 25 hp Deutz diesel engine and was equipped with a winch. Zettelmeyer wanted to score points with this, especially with foresters, but due to low sales, production was discontinued in 1952.
A total of almost 5,000 Z1 and Z2 tractors were built over the years, very few of which still exist today. Zettelmeyer later made a name for itself building wheel loaders and construction machinery.
