INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ROLL OF HONOUR
etter than all the rest
CM looks at the trucks that have topped the list during 37 years of the International Truck of the Year awards Words / Images: John Henderson
Seddon Atkinson 200
The International Truck of the Year's (IToY) roots date back to 1976 and an idea by then editor of Truck magazine, the late Pat Kennett.
Bearing in mind this legendary journalist's passion for British-built heavy trucks, the Seddon Atkinson 200 rigid's inaugural 1977 win isn't such an unusual choice.
MAN 280
Still known back then as the Truck of the Year award, MAN's 280 winning range of 16 and 19 series models added some international flavour to the competition.
A common-sense approach to design principles ranked highly with the judges who said: "It's up to truck makers to ensure that trucks cause a minimum disruption to life."
Volvo F7
Volvo's new F7 model won with a commanding 27 votes. The nearest contender was another Volvo, its F10 big brother with 20 nominations. Volvo's Scottish-based staff at Irvine had a considerable influence on the new F7's design and the Ayrshire built 6x2, 8x2 and 8x4 rigids were specifically for British markets.
MAN 321
The new D2566MK engine, with its tuned induction system giving a resonant pulse effect, was a major factor in MAN's return to the winner's podium in 1980 with its 321 tractor.
Renowned for their engineering expertise, the Munich engine team produced one of the first turbo diesels with proper low-end torque.
Leyland 145
Launched in February 1980, the T45 Roadtrain, Leyland's self-proclaimed 1980s Truck of the Decade, duly collected its Truck of the Year prize in January 1981.
The distinctive Ogle Design cab certainly looked ahead of its time. The T45 was seen as Britain's best hope of stemming the foreign invasion of trucks built on the Continent.
Ford Cargo
Ford's only independent appearance in the IToY role of honour came in 1982 when the ground-breaking Cargo range collected the spoils
Designed and built in Langley, Berkshire, Cargo went on to be a true worldbeater and subsequent part-lveco influenced models enjoyed further IToY success a decade later.
Renault 0260
A second win for the highly practical Club of Four cab came just four years after the Volvo F7, when Renault's G260 grabbed the IToY prize. Truck editor in chief Pat Kennett reckoned the "38tonner may look like Mr Average, but it delivers dazzling performance and sets new standards of moneymaking ability"
Volvo F10
1984 saw the battle of the big intercooled trucks, as Volvo's revised F10 prime mover pipped Scania's 112 to the top spot by just seven votes.
The pan-European panel was taken by the F10's mechanical and structural improvements, while proclaiming this super Swede as "a truck for every man".
Mercedes LN2
Winning by a country mile, Mercedes' LN2 beat its nearest competitor, the lveco TurboStar, by a whopping 22 votes, the biggest margin to date. Providing a top-quality product for the 7.5-tonne to 21-tonne operating spheres, each of the 20,000 LNs built at Worth in 1985 carried special IToY badging.
Volvo FL family
The Volvo FL family gave the Gothenburg truck builder a first IToY hat trick. at the award, which now had 13 voting countries. The FL truck family replaced most existing Volvo models in the 14-tonne to 38-tonne sector and wowed the judges with its engineering design to minimise operating costs across a long vehicle lifespan.
MAN F90
Born at a time of great change in Munich, MAN's bullet-proof F90 won by a continent's width, beating the Mercedes 1944 by 37 points.
A 460hp F90 model, with a V10 engine, further confirmed this super truck's top status, which saw it crowned the new king in Europe's power race.
Daf 95
ENASA of Spain unveiled the new Cabtec cab for Daf, Pegaso and Seddon Atkinson in early 1987 and, more than 26 years later, its basic frame design is still used by the Dutch maker. Known as a Leyland Daf in the UK, the 95 Series won acclaim for its model versatility and good driving environment.
Scania 3-series
Still thought by many to be the best Scania ever built, the 3-series cruised to IToY success just 10 months after its unveiling.
Scania's detailed evolutionary process from the preceding 2-series saw victory over the new, but sophisticated Mercedes SK. Sodertalje designer Axel Pettersson's new Topline roof was the icing on the cake.
Mercedes SK
Having duly proved that technically complex CVs did not result in unreliable service, the Powerliner 2 MercedesBenz SK, with its improved EPS electronic gearshift, got its just desserts in 1990. A month after the truck's launch in the UK, the IToY panel specified that "the terms of the award are that it is for the 1733/24335K range".
Renault AE
Renault's sensational new modular construction heavy truck stormed to victory in 1991. The then named AE's winning margin was as large as its square cab; a full 53 points clear of Volkswagen's Transporter. Renamed Magnum in due course, the big flat-floored Renault would continue in production for a staggering 23 years, until July 2012.
lveco EuroCargo
Iveco's first IToY steering wheel-shaped award came courtesy of its EuroCargo range in 1992.
Known in the UK as New Cargo, the range covered two distinct groups in the 6-tonne to 10-tonne ranges and heavier 15-tonne to 24-tonne operations. A low-maintenance engine line-up also met Euro-1 emission standards.
lveco EuroTech
!woo created a stir in 1993 by becoming the first truck maker to win two years in a row. The EuroTech's computerised construction used standardised components, assembled with "lean" production methods. EuroTech proved attractive to drivers and transport managers alike, with its 40,000km service programme and modern interior finishes respectively.
Volvo FH
At 025m, the new Volvo FH was the most expensive truck Volvo had ever produced. The investment proved worthwhile, as the FH range continued through various revisions until 2012. Innovative engineering and consistent quality were among the reasons the FH won. The judges rightly thought its advanced design would take operators through to the 21st century.
MAN F2000
Still sporting its Saviemdesigned cab launched in 1969, MAN's F2000 range lifted the IToY title by the closest margin ever in 1995, beating off a challenge from Des 95.500 Super Space Cab by just two votes.
By the mid 1990s, MAN was on a roll in the UK with a growth rate more than three times higher than its marketplace figures.
Scania L Class 4-series
The 90cm-wide top bunk proved the biggest talking point of the Scania 4-series Topline cab, because the Swedish team had moved it up front, above the windscreen.
This innovative feature unfairly took the focus away from what was eventually considered a worthy replacement for the renowned Scania 3 range.
Mercedes Actros 1
The first of four IToY awards for Mercedes-Benz's Actros range came in 1997. By then the maker's EPS gear-changing system had been replaced by a new Telligent gearbox.
The new, squarer Actros cab also provided international chauffeurs with far more living and sleeping space than the previous SK/ MK models.
Oaf 95
The future was bright and very orange for Daf in 1998, when its carrot-coloured 95 XF demonstrators were used alongside press announcements of the IToY prize.
The 14 jury members liked the Daf's relatively low-tech, tried-and-tested build, rather than the high-tech approach of its nearest points rival, Renault's Magnum Integral.
Mercedes Atego
Modular build was the buzz phrase at the end of the 20th century and Mercedes Atego shared similarities with its Actros big brother. The Atego's sheer urban driveability, braking and handling won many plaudits, alongside the roomy cab with excellent access. Milbank's Mercedes carries some modest IToY badging above the right indicator.
Volvo FH
It's hard to believe that before this week's announcement, the last Volvo to take the IToY title was the FH in 2000.
At the time of the win the revised FH models featured a new gearbox, back axle, braking system and engine range.
The 1994-designed cab remained relatively unchanged.
MAN TG-A
Any MAN truck built after the F90 and F2000 ranges had a particularly hard act to follow.
The TG-A did have some teething troubles, but these were quickly ironed out in Munich MAN's fifth IToY trophy was also the 25th award since the competition started Only natural then, that Swindon's UK demonstrators were finished in silver!
Oaf LF
British-built trucks grabbed the IToY prize in 1977, 1982, 1992 and 2002.
Daf's popular LF range lifted the latter honour after it replaced the ageing 45 and 55 Series at the beginning of 2001.
The LF's new Cummins ISBe fourand six-cylinder engines provided superb driyeability in the 6-tonne to 18-tonne ranges.
Iveco Stralis
Iveco's advanced powertrain proved central in clinching victory for the manufacturer's new Stralis range, which superseded the EuroTech and EuroStar models. Stralis made its debut at the 2002 Amsterdam Truck Show and its Cursor 10 and 13 engines set new performance standards and included use of Holset's then unique variable geometry turbochargers.
Mercedes Actros II
The new generation Actros II followed in the tyre tracks of its predecessor with IToY success in 2004 The judging panel now consisted of 19 industry journalists from across Europe, who were impressed by Mercedes' research and development, attention to detail and the maker's exhaustive testing regime used to prove the Actros II
Scania R-series
The first model range to be launched as part of Scania's new truck programme, R-series was an instant success. The super Swede's reliability, safety and fuel consumption levels were all extremely attractive, while the redesigned interior was superb. Scania returned the top bunk to the rear cab wall, a move that was not universally popular.
MAN TGL
The MAN TGL came top of the class in 2006 with 94 votes out of a possible 133. MAN's legendary engineering attention to detail, especially with the cab, impressed the IToY jury. TGLs strong and robust design included an excellent driver environment with road safety enhancing, clear and uncluttered views.
Daf XF105
Daf Trucks president Aad Goudriaan, collecting the 2007 award from then chairman of the IToY jury Andy Salter, paid tribute to the levels of customer input that helped design his company's latest XF105 range-topper. Just nine months after it entered production, the XF105 had already notched up more than 12,500 orders.
MAN TGX & MAN TGS
MAN's Trucknology Generation exceeded the maker's expectations, when not one but two of its truck ranges shared the spoils in 2008. The TGX and TGS models covered the 18-tonne to 50-tonne class weights. Using EGR engines up to 440hp, these ranges proved a popular non-AdBlue alternative through the Euro-4 and -5 years.
Mercedes Actros III
Good things came in threes in 2009, as the Actros's third manifestation fought off a strong challenge from the Iveco EuroCargo, new Volvo FH and Scania's EGR engine R-series to sit atop the podium. The judges liked Actros Ill's safety package, which included a laneguard system, ESP and adaptive cruise control.
Scania R-series
Proving that a great truck can be made better, Scania R series retuned to the winner's spot just five years following the launch of the original model.
Leif ostling, president and CEO at Scania, put the R-series' success down to continuous improvement with lower operating costs in a time of global economic challenges.
Mercedes Atego
In 37 years of IToY awards, only a handful of light trucks have delivered success. Twelve years after the original Atego topped the pile, the new Atego also delivered the goods in 2011.
The truck's unmatched reliability and agility standards were complemented by a green alternative in the shape of a diesel-electric hybrid option.
Mercedes Actros
The all-new Mercedes Actros MP4 was a worthy IToY winner in 2012. Below the truck's cutting-edge Transformer looks was the most fuel-efficient truck Stuttgart had produced so far. The new Actros was developed around four key areas: comfort, driving dynamics, economy and an extended product range to ensure a solution for every application.
Iveco Stralis Hi-Way
Rounding off CM's look at past winners is the 2013 recipient, the Iveco Stralis Hi-Way. IToY chairman Gianenrico Griffini and his 24 jury member colleagues, in accordance with IToY rules, declared the Stralis Hi-Way had made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency from several perspectives, including: fuel economy, safety, driveability, comfort and a low-environmental footprint.
Volvo FH
2014 was a difficult year for the IToY judges, with strong contenders from several truck makers. But, having narrowly beaten the new Daf XF into second place, the all-new Volvo FH has emerged the winner. Although this is the Volvo FH's third win, the latest version is an
entirely new vehicle after undergoing a complete redesign.