Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Blue Oval's new Cargo cab-over rig is largest "One Ford" initiative yet

Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-5591971/

The imposing commercial truck above has a feature that might be surprising to most Autoblog readers – a Blue Oval emblem on the front. Here in North America, Ford simply doesn't play in the eighteen-wheeler sandbox, but that doesn't mean that the Dearborn-based automaker is absent in the heavy hauling space in other parts of the globe. In fact, Ford presently fields two completely different big rig ranges under the Cargo moniker – one a product of an Eastern Europe/Turkey joint venture, and another from Brazil. But that's about to start changing with the advent of this new cab-over model seen here.

Unveiled in São Paulo, Brazil, this new generation of Cargo is perhaps the largest physical embodiment of CEO Alan Mulally's "One Ford" global streamlining strategy. Instead of multiple models, company engineers have developed a new single truck that it says will better meet the needs of truckers in all markets. Designed to compete in what's known as the "extra heavy-duty segment" elsewhere in the world, this Cargo was developed jointly by Ford engineering teams in Brazil, Turkey and Europe.

Specifics remain hard to come by (read: unreleased), but Ford is promising an all-new engine enabling hauling capability of up to 56 tons while still returning excellent fuel economy. Ford's global Cargo lineup will henceforth consist of a dozen models, but Ford tells Autoblog has no plans to bring this hot and heavy-duty action to North America.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/01/24/b...-ford-initiat/

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

It's so awesome and looks like a Transformer. I want one!!

jwong77

Optimus Prime!

LOWFAST

So how long till these are imported and we see guys driving them daily to work. "Hah, you just have a F350"

caddyowner

Ford made heavy trucks in N. America until they sold that division to Freightliner in the '90s and they were re-branded Sterling. Ford was also famous for making tractors which was eventually spun off to New Holland.

Aron9000

^ Yeah, Ford once sold a lot of Class 8 trucks, so did GM under its GMC brand. As for that never being sold in the USA, the cabover is dead, killed by loosening government regulations of truck length that allowed guys to run the conventional rigs with big hoods you see today.

I personally don't blame drivers for abandoning the cabover. They were very noisy, cramped inside, hard to get into, and rode like crap. They were also very dangerous in a crash, like a VW bus, your knees are the crush zone. From a service standpoint, they sucked as well, all your loose items slid into the windshield when you tipped the cab, access to certain componets and the front of the engine was sketchy. They were also dangerous to work on, god help you if that cab tilted back on you while you were sprawled under there working on something.