Joint projects threatened
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• The decision by the Volvo board not to proceed with the proposed Renault merger throws a number of joint truck projects into the melting pot. The two companies were known to be working on mutual cab and engine developments.
Plans for a joint middleweight cab were for a corn mon steel skeletal frame, with a choice of thermoplastic trim panels.
This would enable Volvo and Renault to style the cabs according to individual preference (CM 18-24 March). The project would have enabled Renault to replace the ageing "Club of Four" cab used on the Midliner, Manager and Maxter ranges, as well as the Major Berliet cab. Volvo would get a replacement for the FL6 cab from the project.
On the engine front, a modular range spanning 6.0 to 12 litres was on the stocks. Other unidentified joint projects are also thought to be threatened.
Although Renault stands to lose most on the truck side in the short term, former Volvo Chairman PeluGyllenhammar, who resigned in the wake of the collapsed deal last week, has warned that the long-term future of Volvo could now be in doubt.