It's Iveco Ford from next week
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• Iveco Ford Truck starts trading officially next Tuesday, but it has still to name which dealers are about to be left Out in the cold.
Until now the two companies operating independently had 161 dealers between them. The new company will have only 115, of which 50 are to be heavy truck specialists.
The Ford Cargo will form the backbone of the range, with Brew models dovetailing into produce a complete range for operation from 3.5 to 38 tonnes.
To avoid duplication at any set weight, the 3.5 Daily and all Z-range models will be available only to existing customers.
Ford plants at Dagenham, Swansea and Leamington, not a part of the new Ivecocontrolled company, will continue to supply engines and gearboxes for the Cargo, but Iveco's position as the largest manufacturer in the world of engines above 52kW (70hp) will influence long-term sourcing. Long-term prospects for the Cargo, which has recently suffered a setback, dropping to third place with 13% of the UK market after being market leader for nine years, were clarified by the company. "If Cargo does not sell it will disappear."
"Being big and international is the ticket to survival," claims Alan Fox, general manager for commercial operations.
Only four major European manufacturers will survive to the end of the century," he told a gathering of major fleet operators this week at the introduction of the combined range.
Mercedes, Iveco Ford and Renault account for more than half of the vehicles sold in Europe.
Last year, Mercedes sold 3% more vehicles than Iveco Ford, but Renault sold only half as many.
Fox went on to say that the loss on each vehicle produced by both Renault and Leyland cost their respective taxpayers 23,000 each.