Ahh...what would I do without the old 'Brochure King'? Thanks to Richard S Biglorryblog can continue the recent stream of postings on the late Volvo White Integral sleeper---naturally Richard had a brochure on it and here it is!
Someone also e-mailed me to ask where the Volvo-White and White GMC names came from. Looking at the Volvo Trucks North America website I can confirm the following. And pay attention as this is the history bit OK?
Back in 1981 A.B. Volvo purchased some assets of the White Motor Coporation in the States to form Volvo White Truck Corporation---which sold waggons under the Volvo, White and Autocar badges. Seven years later it then formed a joint venture with GM (effectively taking over GM's heavy truck business in the US) whereupon Volvo GM trucks were badged WhiteGMC and Autocar. Fast forward to 1995 when the WhiteGMC name was dropped and trucks were then sold as either a Volvo or an Autocar. Then in 1997 Volvo bought out GM's interest in Volvo GM and it became Volvo Trucks North America. And for the really pedantic in 2001 Volvo licensed the Autocar name to Grand Vehicle Works Holdings LLC while all other VTNA were then sold as Volvos. There now, simple when you know.
Now click through here for a rather nice shot of a White GMC Integrated sleeper that comes to me via 'Keeper of the Flame' Martin P..where else?
Mmm.....I have to say those Yanks really know how to take a nice brochure photo. Now Martin here's a question for you. What did Grand Vehicle Works Holdings do with the Autocar name---did it (does it) make any trucks badged as Autocars? Curiosity has got the better of me....
Comments (4)
And you missed the part where there was a White-Freightliner for a while!
Posted by David | August 9, 2008 3:16 PM
Posted on August 9, 2008 15:16
Yup, the Autocar is alive and well and being built in Hagerstown IN. (You can see their Xpeditor truck that was blogged in Sep 2007 by clicking on the Tag Cloud)
Posted by Richard Stanier | August 9, 2008 4:51 PM
Posted on August 9, 2008 16:51
Transpacific/Western Star/MAN in Brisbane imported a few Autocars with the White Expediator cabin on them about three years ago.As far as I know,they didn`t sell very well and ended up in Transpacifics fleet,all the best,Cam.
Posted by Cam McFadyen | August 9, 2008 11:29 PM
Posted on August 9, 2008 23:29
They indeed are making Autocars (actually the old White Xpediter line). The Xpediter line had to be sold off when Volvo bought out Mack. Apparently the White Low Cab Forward and the Mack MR would represent too much market power in the Low Cab Forward space. So the White model went out the door (together with the Autocar name).
Posted by Don | August 10, 2008 4:33 PM
Posted on August 10, 2008 16:33