The
Ford Transcontinental was a heavy goods vehicle tractor and rigid unit manufactured between 1975 and 1983 by
Ford of BritainFord Motor Company Limited was the manufacturing and sales arm of the Ford Motor Company for the United Kingdom and originally also Ireland. The firm both sold and manufactured cars, commercial vehicles, and farm tractors for sale in the United Kingdom and other countries...
.
Assembled almost entirely from bought in
OEMAn original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components which are purchased by a second company and retailed under the second company's brand name...
component parts (e.g., cab shell from
BerlietBerliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, trucks and other utility vehicles, based in Venissieux, outside of Lyons, France.Marius Berliet started his experiments with automobiles in 1894. Some single cylinder cars were followed in 1900 by a twin-cylinder model. In 1902, Berliet took over...
, engine from
CumminsCummins Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service diesel and natural gas engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems...
, transmission from
EatonEaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2008 sales of $15.4 billion...
) it was introduced to fill a perceived gap in the market in anticipation of the relaxation of weight restrictions on
HGVHGV may mean:* Heavy Goods Vehicle - the old legal term in the United Kingdom for goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes GVW* Hepatitis G Virus* Histology Group of Victoria Incorporated* HGV Video Productions, a Canadian home video distributor...
s, and as such had a very strong chassis and heavy duty suspension.
Recognizable by its high cab, it was an extremely advanced vehicle for its time offering a high standard of driver comfort and a high power output for its time, courtesy of the well proven 14 litre Cummins engine with typical outputs of 290-350 HP.
Sales did not live up to expectations, mainly because the tractor unit with its heavy duty construction was too heavy for the 32 ton weight limit in the UK at the time, although it was a popular vehicle with drivers, particularly those who were engaged on long distance continental work.
Today the Transcontinental is a particularly rare vehicle, much in favour with collectors of vintage commercials, although a few do remain in revenue earning service throughout Europe.
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