The Ford LCF (Low Cab Forward
) is a medium-duty
cab-over
Cab-over, also known as cab over engine (COE), cab forward (U.S.), flat nose (Canada), or forward control (UK), is a body style of truck, bus, or van that has a vertical front, "flat face" or a hood (vehicle), semi-hood, with the Cabin (truck), ...
truck that was marketed by
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...
from 2006 to 2009. The first cab-over (COE) vehicle sold by Ford since the company sold the rights to the Ford Cargo design (in North America) to Freightliner in 1996, the LCF was developed as a Class 4/5 truck, competing in a market segment dominated by the
Isuzu NPR
The is a medium duty truck produced by Isuzu since 1959. Outside Japan it is known as N series and Q Series. The range was originally mainly available in Japan and other Asian countries. Australia was another important market for the Elf and N ...
(and its rebadged Chevrolet/GMC variants). Sold in various wheelbases, the model line was developed for various configurations, including dump trucks, fire trucks, tow trucks, box trucks, crane/bucket trucks, flat beds and stake bodies.
Produced in a joint venture with
Navistar International
Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...
, (known as Blue Diamond, a nod to the Ford "Blue" Oval and the Navistar "Diamond"), the LCF was also marketed by Navistar as the International CF/CityStar. The first (and only) collaborative design to emerge from the joint venture, the LCF/CityStar was assembled in
General Escobedo, Mexico, alongside the
Ford F-650/F-750 Super Duty and
International DuraStar.
Following slow sales of the LCF/CityStar, the model line was discontinued by both companies after 2009. As of current production, the LCF remains the final COE marketed by Ford in North America (of any size).
Design overview
![Mazda Titan 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Mazda_Titan_003.JPG)
The Ford LCF derived its chassis from the Ford F-450/F-550
Super Duty trucks, sourcing its cab from the Japanese-market
Mazda Titan
The Mazda Titan is a commercial truck produced by the Japanese automaker Mazda since 1971. From the fourth generation onwards, the vehicle had become a rebadged Isuzu Elf truck.
Predecessor
Mazda's original entry into the mid-sized Light mi ...
introduced in 2000. The LCF and CF were fitted with a single powertrain: a 4.5-litre V6 version of the 6-litre PowerStroke/VT365. While the engine itself was exclusive to the two trucks, it was mated to the five-speed Torqshift (5R110W) transmission shared with the Super Duty pickup line
Standard features included manual windows and steel wheels and a painted grille; for an extra cost, power windows could be added alongside a chrome grille, bumper, and wheels. Styled similar to the Super Duty trucks, the grille of the LCF differed from its International counterpart, which featured vertical bars.
International CF/CityStar
Assembled alongside the Ford LCF in the Blue Diamond joint venture, the International CF (renamed CityStar in 2008) was the smallest truck marketed by
Navistar International
Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...
, succeeding the Nissan-sourced 400-900 series (discontinued in 1991). Differing from the LCF only by its grille and badging, Navistar marketed its 4.5L V6 as the VT275 engine.
For 2010, International returned to the Class 5 truck market, introducing the conventional-cab
International TerraStar
The International TerraStar is a product line of medium duty trucks that was manufactured by International Trucks from 2010 to 2015. The smallest conventional-cab truck ever produced by Navistar, the TerraStar is a Class 5 medium-duty truck. Alt ...
.
See also
*
List of Low Cab Forward trucks
A Low Cab Forward (LCF) truck is a type of truck that has engine underneath the cab, usually between the driver and passenger seats.
Light duty
* Isuzu N-series (NPR, NQR, NRR, etc.)
*Mitsubishi Fuso Canter
* Chevrolet/GMC B-Series L.C.F.
*Chevro ...
References
{{Ford vehicles
LCF
Vehicles introduced in 2006
International CityStar