Cargo cabs for Brazil
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
FORD Cargo cab panels pressed in Britain are soon to be used on Brazilian-assembled trucks, some of which will be exported to North America.
Ford is replacing its F-Series in Brazil with a vehicle which uses an F-Series chassis, the Cargo cab, Brazilian-built Ford engines — derived from existing agricultural and industrial units — and locally produced ZF gearboxes. A new 7.8-litre engine is under development.
Ford plans to begin exporting Brazilian built trucks to the USA in April or May.
They will compete in the middleweight classes, Six and Seven, where European-cabbed vehicles such as Mack's Midliner with Renault cab, and Volvo's F6 and F7 are already selling well.
Ford hopes to sell 2,000 of these vehicles in the first year in the USA, with a subsequent predicted annual sales target of 5,000.
The Cargo range was launched in Europe in 1981 and ckd kits have been exported to Australia and South Africa for the past two years. An all-grp version of the Cargo cab is produced at Ford's plant in Turkey.