Ford Cargo (Europe)

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The European Ford Cargo was originally a lightweight truck when launched in 1981 by Ford of the United Kingdom.

The Cargo was styled by Patrick le Quément. It included windows which extended down to floor level in the doors to enable drivers to see pathways in urban locations easier when parking. The Cargo cab was very successful and still survives in Ford trucks made in Brazil and in some Sterling and Freightliner models in the USA.

With the demise of the Ford Transcontinental heavy truck range, British Ford introduced a range of heavyweight Cargo tractor units ranging from 28- to 38-tonnes gcw. The 38-tonners were powered by the Cummins L10 while those at 28- and 32-tonnes had Perkins, Cummins or air-cooled Deutz diesels.

In 1986 Ford sold its European truck operations to the Italian Iveco group and subsequent vehicles have been badged Iveco Ford. After the recession in the 1990s, Iveco rationalised it's production operations, and its Langley, Slough plant closed in October 1997, bringing UK Iveco/Ford truck production to an end.

The original lightweight Cargo was replaced in 1993 by the Iveco Eurocargo range, covering the 7.5-ton to 18-ton GVW range.

Ford Cargo trucks are still made by Brazilian Ford subsidiary, the Turkish Ford Otosan and the Indian Ashok Leyland.

[edit] See also

• Ford Cargo — from the American perspective