This picture of this super shiny cabover comes from a local Australian truck show in 1989. And what I want to know is this. It says Atkinson on the side of the door--but it's not like any Atki you've ever seen. So (naturally for a pie) what is it...and how come it ended up down under? My thanks to my mate Rodders for this. It's a cracker.
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It's an Atkinson (possibly a model T386) and it's in Australia because it was built there by Atkinson's parent company, International Harvester. The plant at Dandenong, Victoria now makes the Iveco Powerstar and ACCO models, but back in 1978 it unveiled the Atkinson L8088 which was claimed to be "the largest and most powerful highway vehicle yet built in Australia". It was a 39 feet long Rigid 8x4 designed for Roadtrain use, and powered by a Detroit V8 of 430 BHP. Australian Atkinsons were known as "the big truck for the big country".
This model evolved into the Atkinson F4870 using the Acco style T Line cab but custom trimmed with custom specs, a real Ozzie legend.
Many had GM or Cummins big bangers.
But don't forget that Atkis were in Australia long before IH got their grubby paws on Seddon Atkinson.
The original "Skippy" cab (made by Reinforced Plastics of Melbourne and also used on some Fodens) was first introduced by Atkinson in 1966. Before that, our friends Down Under enjoyed basically the same Mk.1 fibreglass-panelled cab as we did.