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The Swedes won't want to be outshone by Renault
Page 28
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IN HIS ROADTEST of the latest Renault Magnum (CM 25 October), Brian Weatherley speculates"how much longer the Magnum will survive in the combined Volvo/Renault consortium-.The answer must surely be not too long. If this Gallic embodiment of the Big Lorry in Mr Weatherley's eponymous blog was destined for a healthy future it would surely by now have been offered with 16-litre Volvo power. After all, when the model was launched as the Renault AE in 1990 it was endowed with 16-litre V8 power,courtesy of Mack a flagship truck with a flagship engine.
However, it is also safe to assume that the Volvo Group top brass in Gothenburg would today be uncomfortable with a Renault model outshining an identically powered indigenous FH16 by virtue of its visually domineering cab. Considerations of relative prestige must surely prevail, with Renault very much the subsidiary marque.
In his roadtest 'last word', Mr Weatherley suggests the latest Magnum upgrades have given it a new lease of life to rival Boeing's B52 bomber. However, the B52 first flew in April 1952, when the Korean War was still raging.That means (maybe in common with your roadtester) it's been around for 55 years. By my reckoning, for the Magnum to emulate the B52's longevity, it will have to still be with us 38 years hence, in 2045.
Alan Bunting by e-mail BW replies Don't underestimate the determination of the French to have their own unique 'Renault' top-weight tractor, at least on the outside. The real challenge for the combined Volvo/Renault group is not in the sharing of hidden engine/driveline 'platforms' but on the next-generation heavy truck cab, which will ultimately replace the FH and Magnum. Will it simply be a case of the same cab with slightly different styling panels and different badges? If the French have anything to say about it,! strongly doubt it. And by the way, not a bad guess from Alan Bunting on my age... it's 54.