Made in England: FlOs and 12s
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• By the end of the summer Volvo Trucks (Great Britain) will be building all right-handdrive FIO and F12 trucks at its Irvine assembly plant, alongside its existing FL7 and FL10 models. Production capacity will increase by 60% to 4,500 vehicles a year, thanks to a 21.5 million revision of the assembly line. Volvo will also recruit up to 100 extra workers.
Until now all F10 and F12 models sold in the UK have been built at Volvo's Gothenburg assembly plant in Sweden. By transferring RHD production to the UK, Volvo Trucks will become the biggest builder of HGVs of 24-tonnes and over in the UK, according to Irvine's general manager Winston Wright. Production of Volvo's F16 will remain in Sweden.
Last year Irvine built just under 2,500 trucks. In the second half of this year it intends to increase production capacity to 4,500 vehicles a year — a jump of 60%. During 1988 it expects to build up to 3,700 trucks and, barring hiccups in the UK market, Irvine is on course to build 4,500 trucks during 1989.
The first pre-production RHD F10 and F12 trucks will be ready in August, with full production beginning by the end of September. Volvo expects to build some 300 F10/ F12 models this year, which should account for 40% of all Irvine truck production by the close of 1989.
The increase is likely to lead to extra business for UK component suppliers.
0 Following enquiries from articulated tipper operators, Volvo plans to introduce a tag axle 6x2 version of its premium 342kW (460hp) F16 tractive unit in the summer. The tag-axle F16 will feature Volvo's S-Ride assymetric mechanical steel-leaf suspension with an air bag lift. The S-Ride suspension is already on F10 and F12 models, and a tag axle F16 would be equipped with single wheels on the rear axle.
Volvo may also sell Fl6s in the UK with air-suspended drive axles Later this year. A 4x2 F16 with air-suspension is already available on the Continent, although the F16 right-hand drive line-up is currently restricted to steelsprung 4x2 and 6x4 tractors.