The Ford Transcontinental is a
heavy goods vehicle tractor and rigid unit that was manufactured between 1975 and 1984 by
Ford Europe
Ford of Europe GmbH is a subsidiary company of Ford Motor Company founded in 1967 in Cork, Ireland, with headquarters in Cologne, Germany.
History
Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 by the merger of Ford of Britain, Ford Germany, and Irish Hen ...
in the Netherlands and Britain. A total of 8735 units were produced, 8231 in Amsterdam and another 504 at the
Foden VAP in Sandbach, Cheshire UK.
Assembled almost entirely from bought in
OEM
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...
component parts (e.g., cab shell from
Berliet
Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'a ...
, engine from
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and distributes engines, filtration, and power generation products. Cummins also services engines and related equipment, including fuel systems, controls, air ...
, transmission from
Eaton) it was introduced to fill a perceived gap in the market in anticipation of the relaxation of weight restrictions on
HGVs, and as such had a very strong chassis and heavy duty suspension. The Berliet KB 2400 cab was also used by Renault for their
R-series ''R series''
* Adventure R series – paramotors for gliders
* BL R-series engine – gasoline car engines
* Dennis R series – coach chassis
* Ford R series – busses
* International Harvester R series – trucks
* Mack R series – heavy-duty ...
.
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. The engines were originally of the Cummins NTC generation, but were gradually updated to the new "big-cam" (NTE) generation - a process completed by 1979.
Also, the Ford Transcontinental is noted for having oil and water meters on the dashboard, another example of the unit being ahead of its time.
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. The model was updated continuously, with much work carried out to lighten the heavy chassis.
[
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.
]
See also
* Ford Cargo
The Ford Cargo is a forward control (cab-over-engine) truck model manufactured by Ford since 1981. Designed by Ford of Britain as the successor of the larger Ford Transcontinental, the Cargo entered the North American market as the intended s ...
References
*
External links
Dedicated website about Ford Transcontinental
{{Early European Ford commercial vehicles
Transcontinental
Transcontinental may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Transcontinental", a song by the band Pedro the Lion from the album ''Achilles Heel''
* TC Transcontinental, a publishing, media and marketing company based in Canada, a subsidiary o ...
Ford trucks
Vehicles introduced in 1975
Cab over vehicles