Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Correct!

Most Americans could never imagine Paccar building Ford trucks.

After Ford car production at Amsterdam ceased in 1978, Ford’s plant was underutilized with only Ford Transcontinental Mk 2 heavy truck production still taking place.

Paccar purchased UK-based truckmaker Foden in 1980.

At the end of 1981, Ford decided to shut down its plant in Amsterdam and have the Paccar-owned Foden plant in Sandbach, Cheshire (UK) assemble their global market heavy truck range under contract, which it did in 1982 and 1983.

The last of Ford’s legendary Transcontinental global heavy truck range rolled off the line in early 1984.

It's impossible to forget those beautiful Ford blue Cummins Formula E engines in the Transcontinental.

Related reading: http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30332-when-ford-roamed-the-world-the-transcontinental/?hl=transcontinental

  • Like 1

For those not familiar with the Transcon there are a couple of threads on a UK site that will give you the driver's opinion.....

http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=28284

http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=121483

my first drive made me seasick..!!! the four point suspension took some getting used to especially on a roundabout, thought I was going to fall over (no U model jokes in those days!!!).. when the Volvo F10 came out its cab was easy to get used to after that experiance.

BC Mack

  • Like 1

my first drive made me seasick..!!! the four point suspension took some getting used to especially on a roundabout, thought I was going to fall over (no U model jokes in those days!!!).. when the Volvo F10 came out its cab was easy to get used to after that experiance.

BC Mack

I'm very surprised to hear that. Did you drive a Mk 1 or a Mk 2 ?

I'm very surprised to hear that. Did you drive a Mk 1 or a Mk 2 ?

that would have been around 76/77... Mk1 Cummins 250... never got to play with a Mk2 with E290 or 335

interesting era, the UK truck scene was going through a big change with the euro's taking a bigger market share over a dormant uk manufacturing industry lacking cash and customer support... about the same time the Bedford TM came out with a 6V71, drove that too..

IIRC the Transcon was the first four point suspension cab available, we were all used to old Atkinson wooden shacks or AEC/Leyland 50's designs.. all designed for low basic weight... to climb up into a Transcon was unique, very high and good view forward but the un-natural movement of the cab on corners took some getting used to... as time moved on towards 1980 the F10/12 had established itself as the premiere truck and everyone was moving towards more 'flexible' cab mounts and other driver comforts.

Leyland latecomers were getting better as was ERF with the B series... but history has told the story of the end of british truck manufacturing.

1976/80 I worked for a Seddon Atkinson dealer fleet rental division, with Volvo, Bedford, ERF & White in the chain, and was running Sed/Ak400 and Volvo F88 side by side until we got the F10.... every now and then we brought in 'competitors' vehicles and evaluated them in case our customers had a preference... we even rented out an F10 to Scania for them to evaluate, so, everyone was keen to check out the competition.

I wonder how the Transcon would have done if it had been brought to the US at that time, that Berliet cab was "nice"...

BC Mack

post-10384-0-79582500-1432270036_thumb.j

  • Like 1

that would have been around 76/77... Mk1 Cummins 250... never got to play with a Mk2 with E290 or 335

interesting era, the UK truck scene was going through a big change with the euro's taking a bigger market share over a dormant uk manufacturing industry lacking cash and customer support... about the same time the Bedford TM came out with a 6V71, drove that too..

IIRC the Transcon was the first four point suspension cab available, we were all used to old Atkinson wooden shacks or AEC/Leyland 50's designs.. all designed for low basic weight... to climb up into a Transcon was unique, very high and good view forward but the un-natural movement of the cab on corners took some getting used to... as time moved on towards 1980 the F10/12 had established itself as the premiere truck and everyone was moving towards more 'flexible' cab mounts and other driver comforts.

Leyland latecomers were getting better as was ERF with the B series... but history has told the story of the end of british truck manufacturing.

1976/80 I worked for a Seddon Atkinson dealer fleet rental division, with Volvo, Bedford, ERF & White in the chain, and was running Sed/Ak400 and Volvo F88 side by side until we got the F10.... every now and then we brought in 'competitors' vehicles and evaluated them in case our customers had a preference... we even rented out an F10 to Scania for them to evaluate, so, everyone was keen to check out the competition.

I wonder how the Transcon would have done if it had been brought to the US at that time, that Berliet cab was "nice"...

BC Mack

The Mk 2 was an impressive truck (http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/30332-when-ford-roamed-the-world-the-transcontinental/?hl=transcontinental). I need to put out more info on the Continental. Few Americans know about this impressive Ford heavy truck and the company's global truck efforts..

Seddon/Atkinson, ERF and Foden all built some very impressive trucks.

  • Like 1

i always thought ford conventionals looked ok-alright, why did every coe they built besides the budd cab look like a cereral box with windows?

Well before the CL series, Ford W's had other "cereal box" competitors- White 7000's, GMC crackerbox, White 1500's, White 6000's

Flat steel, flat glass= low cost.

  • Like 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...