GMC Astro 95 Cabover (1978)

 

A late-Seventies cabover GMC Astro 95 operated by Allied Van Lines. This truck was sold with a choice of transmissions and either Detroit or Cummins diesels.

GMC

This massive corporation started in a small way. In 1903, William C. Durant took control of Buick and in 1908 founded the General Motors Company which absorbed a number of early car and truck makers. In 1911 the truck names were changed to GMC who acquired Chevrolet during World War I. Another merger followed in 1925 and another in 1943, each time increasing in size. 

General Motors Corporation now has interests in many companies around the globe. In terms of truck manufacture its most important are Vauxhall, formerly Bedford in the U.K., Opel in Germany, Chevrolet and GMC in the U.S.A. and Isuzu in Japan. 

There are also considerable numbers of other companies in which it has an interest. Many of its products are lightweight commercial vans and delivery trucks but the GMC Astro and General models are heavyweight American trucks par excellence. 

The three-axle GMC General of the late Eighties is a bonneted design and under this feature is found a variety of big diesel engines including the Detroit, Cummins and Caterpillar which have outputs ranging between 268 and 470 bhp. Transmissions, too, are complex and massive - up to 15 forward gears can be selected. 

The General will pull up to 65 tons gross combined weight (of trailer and tractor unit). The three- axle GMC Astro is a cabover design but comes with a similarly bewildering choice of engines and transmissions. The sleeper cab tilts to allow engine access and the tractor unit will cope with a gross combined weight of up to 45 tons.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

White 9000 Truck History Pictures (1967)

Image
  This White is a 9000 Series 6x4 articulated tractor and is used for pulling a tanker trailer. It has a 90,000 lb gross combined weight which includes both tractor and trailer. White 9000 Truck (1967) White This famous American truck manufacturer was acquired by Swedish Volvo in 1981 after going into liquidation. The company still manufactures trucks as Whites at plants in Utah and Virginia using a high percentage of American proprietary components. One such is the High Cabover which is assembled with a Cummins 300 bhp diesel engine, a Fuller nine-speed gearbox and Rockwell axles. The White Conventional is a similar combination of components albeit in a bonneted cab design and with a thirteen speed transmission. Other Truck Pictures: Peterbilt Trucks Pictures Mack Old Truck Models Kenworth Old Truck Photo
Read more

Mack Old Truck Models: U607T, Diesel 1960 and B615 1965

Image
  Bulldog is the nickname earned by Mack trucks which is one of the oldest American truck makers. Seen here (above) are a row of bonneted U607T models, the cabs of which are made of fibreglass. As well as specialist trucks for logging and similar operations, Mack also makes conventional trucks for interstate haulage such as (below) this early Eighties tractor unit. Note the Bulldog hood ornament. Mack Mack was one of the pioneers of American truck manufacture having commenced production in 1900. The company expanded after introducing its famous range of trucks the nickname ‘Bulldog’ Mack enduring to this day. The AC4 of 1919 was one of the most famous of the Bulldog range - the numerical suffix denoting a four- cylinder engine as there was also a six, the AC6 . The AC4 produced 75 bhp and featured a four-speed transmission.  Mack Diesel Truck (1960) 1965 B615 Mack Truck The whole truck was based around a steel channel chassis and leaf sprung suspension. In the Seventies the compan
Read more