West's Big Five ore cast
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FIVE nathes will figure prominently in the heavy vehicle market In the Western world by the early 1980s, according to Dr Heinz Hahn, chairman of the Magirus Deutz board, namely: General Motors, Ford, International Harvester, Daimler-Benz and IVECO. (IVECO is the grouping of Fiat and Magiru s Deutz commercial vehicle interests).
Dr Hahn forecast that M agi ru s Deutz production would exceed 20,000 vehicles this year. A total of 16,000 commercial vehicles was built in 1975 (11,600 in 1974) while the number of psv chassis was 2,200 (1,500). Firefighting vehicles, numbering 400 in 1974, were up by 25 per cent. The 1975 results were helped by the 9,000-vehicle order for Russia.
The IVECO group, said Dr Hahn, was exploring the great market potential in the USA.
Magirus Deutz chassis design would eventually be reflected in the other members' models: drive axles of all IVECO vehicles would be developed by Magirus, and brakes also. The new IVECO forward-control cab for heavy vehicles (already mentioned in CM) was being designed at Ulm, where it would be built in a new works extension due to be commissioned in mid-77.
Magirus Deutz is gaining valuable technical feedback from Russia on vehicle use in extreme climates. Some of this it has already incorporated in engineering improvements on suspension details and electric circuitry.