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New Fords pamper the driver: prices
start at £12,400 by Trevor Longcroft LIFTING its highest gross weight model from 28 tons to 42 tonnes, Ford Motor Co Ltd this week unveiled its range of Transcontinental trucks and tractive units — hitherto known as the H-series. A full description appears on pages 29-36 of this issue.
Introducing the new trucks to the press on Monday, Ford executives stressed that the company had opted for a deliberate policy of high specification rather than building down to a price.
There are 4x2 and 6x4 tractive units and trucks in gross combination weights from 32 to 42 tonnes. Prices start at £12,428 (excluding VAT) and run to E16,298 for the most powerful of the 6x4 trucks. These prices will apply at least up to August/September delivery against current orders.
Mr Andy Thorns, truck marketing director, said on Monday that the company already had 400 orders for Transcontinentals, 200 of them from UK buyers — representing about £6m in sales.
Mr Thorns said Ford — which for the past two years had sold more commercial vehicles in Europe than any other maker — was optimistic about the long-term prospects for trucks. Total truck sales for all companies had been running at about 1m in Europe annually and of these 84,000 were in the top weight classes. He forecast that this figure would rise to 100,000 by 1980.
On track with the Transcontinentals
Just before the launch of the Transcontinental, this week, Ford staged a demonstration of the new models at the Military Vehicle Experimental Establishment at Chobham. From the six models on display I chose two to drive around the test track. One was a 6x4 tractive unit coupled to 12.2m (40ft) semi-trailer and loaded to 32.5 tonnes (32 tons) gcw, and the other an unladen drawbar outfit. The cab on the Ford sits very high, yet entry and exit are made easy by the four well-positioned steps and the equally well-positioned grab handles at each door. Inside the capacious cab it seems that Ford have done everything they can to cosset the driver : the high standard of trim and appointments would grace any luxury car. The driver has a suspension seat with a wide range of adjustments and the seat has cloth upholstery for maximum comfort.
The most frequently required minor controls are mounted on the steering column and are within convenient reach. All other minor controls are at the centre of the dash, again within easy reach.
The H3424 drawbar truck is powered by a naturally aspirated Cummins engine producing 188kW (252bhp) at 2100 (net installed BS AU 141a) and has the Fuller nine-speed gearbox. As driven, the outfit unladen weight was estimated to be around 12 tonnes.
A slightly unnerving feature of this vehicle initially was the super-light steering which tended to he very sensitive and required constant, but slight, correction to maintain a straight course. This was not a feature of the fully laden artic.
The nine-speed gearbox with the crawler and two superimposed ranges of four gears is easy to master and smooth changes are possible within minutes of taking the wheel.
The vehicle was quiet, across-cab conversation being easily heard regardless of vehicle or engine speed.
At 32.5 tonnes (32 tons) gcw the 6x4 HA4227 tractive unit coupled to a 12.2m (40ft) trailer carries an estimated payload of 19.2 tonnes (19 tons). It is powered by the Cummi NTC 355 engine which is be turbocharged and intercool and produces 251kW (340b1' net installed (BS AU 141a) 2100rpm. The vehicle is al specified with the Fuller 1 speed gearbox.
Pulling away from rest 2nd ratio, the engine, t most powerful in the Trap continental models, gath( revs quickly and the lel needs to be shifted quid through the gearbox until 1 higher gears are reached. 1 ratio layout uses a basic fo speed arrangement with a 1, range and upper range w splitter. The change is eas mastered.
The most noise occurs at 1 higher engine speeds and t is only the whine from 1 turbocharger, otherwise 1 vehicle is commendably qu —a situation aided by thermostatically controlled f