The Volvo FH - Iran’s main battle tank prime mover

[kscarbel2]

Video - http://us.cnn.com/2015/07/08/politics/iran-nuclear-talks-obama-deadline/index.html

Note the Volvo FH 6x4 prime movers on parade two-thirds of the way through, the tank transporting prime mover of choice of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Volvo didn’t have the integrity to stop selling to Iran until 2013!

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/29989-volvo-finds-exit-ramp-from-iran-market/?hl=iran

Now, just 2 years later, and although UN sanctions have not been lifted, Volvo is doing business in Volvo again.

http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/40409-volvo-shifts-into-reverse-on-iran-sanctions/?hl=iran

If a foreign company (ie. Volvo Group) wants to do business in America, and owns an American icon, it would act ethically, and with respect to United States foreign policy.

The government of Iran, and its military, remain a foe of the United States of America.

.

[TeamsterGrrrl]

You're complaining because they didn't buy Macks?

[41chevy]

Not much different than Ford and GM Factories (Opel) in Germany going to full War Production in 1938 for Germany and Allies. All while resisting going to a limited war production in North America.

[kscarbel2]

You're complaining because they didn't buy Macks?

First of all, today's reality is there are no more Mack trucks to be bought. Today's Mack-badged truck is a Volvo under the 27-year-old legacy cab..

Complaining? ............. I simply believe that a foreign truckmaker profiting in the United States market should not, at the same time, be profiting by selling trucks to our enemy's military. That the foreign truckmaker involved (Volvo) also owns America's most iconic name (Mack) is all the more demeaning.

You are clearly a very sharp individual, and would thus recall the 1979 U.S. Embassy siege in Iran, and the hostage crisis. That government, which Volvo is selling to, remains in place today.

[james j neiweem]

Mack ( the Icon) is not squeaky clean in this re guard. Remember they wanted to build a factory in the Soviet Union in the 60/70's or so. The government nixed it. We don't

have much control over Volvo, I guess we could pass some sort of legislation to prevent vehicles made/assembled in America from reaching Iran. Big money is more important than principal. But then again there is no principal in the executive or legislative parties in this country. No principal-only agenda.

[41chevy]

Mack ( the Icon) is not squeaky clean in this re guard. Remember they wanted to build a factory in the Soviet Union in the 60/70's or so. The government nixed it. We don't

have much control over Volvo, I guess we could pass some sort of legislation to prevent vehicles made/assembled in America from reaching Iran. Big money is more important than principal. But then again there is no principal in the executive or legislative parties in this country. No principal-only agenda.

And personal gain.

[kscarbel2]

Mack ( the Icon) is not squeaky clean in this re guard. Remember they wanted to build a factory in the Soviet Union in the 60/70's or so. The government nixed it. We don't

have much control over Volvo, I guess we could pass some sort of legislation to prevent vehicles made/assembled in America from reaching Iran. Big money is more important than principal. But then again there is no principal in the executive or legislative parties in this country. No principal-only agenda.

For those unfamiliar with what he's speaking of.............

At the same time that Mack Trucks was achieving major sales success in Europe, the Middle East and Iran, the opening up of the Soviet Union presented a major opportunity for the company.

Mack was proceeding step-by-step with the U.S. Commerce Department. That's the only way a true American like Mack Trucks President Zenon C.R. Hansen would handle it.

Ironically, while politics prevented Mack Trucks from cooperating with Russia on the HUGE KamAZ truck plant project, MANY other U.S. companies were in the end allowed to participate, bringing them vast profits while giving the Russians their first state-of-the-art commercial truck production facility (see Summary below).

Mack Trucks Signs Pact with Russia

Business Week Magazine / June 18, 1971

The Soviet Union and Mack Trucks, Inc. have signed a $700 million preliminary agreement for the U.S. company to supply machinery and technology for a huge Russian truck manufacturing plant.

The agreement is subject to approval by the U.S. government.

It was signed by Zenon C.R. Hansen, chairman and president of Mack Trucks, and N.D. Komarov, Russian deputy foreign trade minister, May 18 at the company’s Allentown, PA headquarters.

Hansen, commenting in a telephone interview, said he would describe the result of the talks with the Russians as a “letter of intent” rather than as a preliminary agreement.

Hansen said that “with the changing attitudes on east-west trade,” he was enthusiastic about the prospects of government approval.

The proposed deal could have a skyrocketing effect on U.S.-Russian trade. Total U.S. exports to Russia amounted to only $118 million in 1970.

The Russians were reported to be clearing land for the $1.3 billion project near Naberezhnle Chelney, 600 miles east of Moscow in the Tartar Republic.The project was said to include housing for an eventual 300,000 people.

The plant may require an estimated $1 billion worth of machinery and technology before it is completed.

Export of Mack Trucks To Russia May Be Near

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS / August 10, 1971

(WASHINGTON) The Nixon administration approved licenses Monday for export of million worth of foundry equipment to the Soviet Union, apparently clearing the way for a massive trade deal involving Mack Trucks Inc.

Although the two licenses approved went to a company other than Mack, a Commerce Department spokesman said the action was “related to the project on the Kama river” where the Allentown, Pa. firm proposes to build what is billed as the world's largest truck plant.

Commerce officials said privately the action would be a first step in approval of the Mack Truck deal but said It should not be construed as meaning a final decision has been made.

The department approved three licenses altogether, including one for export of technical data for iron and steel foundries. Equipment for automotive castings was among items listed. The firm went unidentified, in line with department policy.

Roger Mullin, executive vice president of Mack Trucks, said the export licenses approved were “definitely not for us. Our application is for machine tools.” But he said foundry equipment would be necessary before a truck plant could be built.

Mack Trucks signed an agreement with the Soviet government this spring to build the Kama River project. The Mack Trucks spokesman said the cost is just a guess, but he said estimates have run between $1 billion and $2 billion.

Mack Trucks, as a result of the agreement, is seeking authority to export an estimated $700 million worth of machinery and technology to the Soviet Union.

The company spokesman, asked whether the government’s action indicated the administration will act favorably on the entire deal, said he would not speculate on what would happen next. He said “your question would lead logically” to the conclusion the administration is looking on the application favorably.

Mullin said in reference to the foundry equipment: “It is an essential part. We would have to have a foundry.”

The government refuses to name the companies for which it approves export licenses. A spokesman said it only referred to the Kama River project because it had been previously announced by the parties involved. Officials said a step-by-step approval process may be used in granting licenses for the project.

The Commerce Department’s Office of Export Control passes on specific export licenses for export of equipment forbidden under government regulations. Such high-technology items as foundry equipment are prohibited from being exported, unless a specific license is granted by the government.

About a year ago, Henry Ford II went to Moscow in an attempt, later abandoned, to complete a similar agreement.

At that time, Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird commented: “Before giving away the technology to construct trucks in the Soviet Union, and establishing plants for them, there should be some indication on the part of the Soviet Union that they are not going to continue sending trucks to North Vietnam by the shiploads for use on the Ho Chi Minh Trail.”

There was no Defense Department comment on Monday’s action by the Commerce Department.

Mack cancels Soviet Plant

The Miami News / Sept 16, 1971

Mack Trucks, Inc. has cancelled plans to build the world’s largest truck plant in the Soviet Union. Mack said it has not received U.S. approval.

Mack signed a preliminary agreement with Soviet officials last May 18, providing that the Allentown, Pa. firm would design and supply a major part of the Soviet Union’s $1.4 billion Kama River truck plant.

The deal, Mack said, hinged on whether the White House was willing to ease its policy on exports to communist countries sufficiently to grant the necessary approval.

The deadline for government approval under the tentative agreement was initially June 25, but the date had been extended to September 15.

In a terse message to Soviet officials yesterday, Mack said, “Since approval from the U.S. government has not been received and the second extension....expired with the close of business today, we feel that to our mutual interest.....to consider said protocol terminated.”

There has been no official statement from administration sources on the proposed deal.

Defense Secretary Melvin Laird, however, has in the past decried the fact that the Russians are supplying trucks to North Vietnam.

Mack countered the charge with the argument that a final agreement would have stipulated that the trucks be used only for industrial and agricultural purposes within the Soviet Union.

The Kama River plant, about 600 miles east of Moscow, was scheduled to begin production in 1975, with a planned capacity of 150,000 heavy diesel trucks and 100,000 diesel engines annually.

Mack Truck President Zenon C.R. Hansen was unavailable for comment on cancellation of the project.

Summary

The Kama River (Kamaz) truck plant was built.

The project was financed by Chase Manhattan Bank and U.S. government loans.

The modern plant, automated by IBM model 370 computers, was built to produce 150,000 trucks and 250,000 diesel engines annually.

Awarded Contracts:

Principal engineering contractor - Swindell-Dressler Co. (Pittsburgh, PA) - $50 million

C.E. Cast Equipment (Cleveland, OH) - $35 million

Holcroft & Co. (Livonia, MI) - $20 million

Ingersoll-Rand (Rockford, IL) - $20 million

National Engineering Co. (Chicago, IL) - $15 million