I’ve just been checking up and found that ignoring the updates, Merc’s Actros design has been out 13 years now. Scania’s 4 series has been out 14 years (1995.)
Volvo’s FH 16 years (1993) and DAF 's XF 19 years, (1990, if you trace it back to the 95 series.)
When all the English wagons were on the scene everyone was introducing new cabs around every 7 years, early 50’s, late 50’s, mid 60’s then mid 70’s. Surely there must be plans for new models from DAF, Volvo and Scania by now and not just modified versions again…
pity we haven’t got Atkinson, AEC, ERF, Foden etc to keep them on their toes eh ! 
TIPIT:
I’ve just been checking up and found that ignoring the updates, Merc’s Actros design has been out 13 years now. Scania’s 4 series has been out 14 years (1995.)
Volvo’s FH 16 years (1993) and DAF 's XF 19 years, (1990, if you trace it back to the 95 series.)
When all the English wagons were on the scene everyone was introducing new cabs around every 7 years, early 50’s, late 50’s, mid 60’s then mid 70’s. Surely there must be plans for new models from DAF, Volvo and Scania by now and not just modified versions again…
pity we haven’t got Atkinson, AEC, ERF, Foden etc to keep them on their toes eh !
We have said this in the past but where do you go next, a driver wants a big box to live in, the bigger the better, the boss wants that big box cheap, streamlined and light, and the bosses boss (accountant) wants that same truck to do 12mpg and easily maintained.
Meanwhile the manufacturers have to keep the shape and style recognisable for the aficionados and in keeping with former designs.
I agree with what you have said Tipit, I also think that today’s market leaders tend to sit back on their laurels and just do the odd tweak to an old design and rave about it being the best thing since sliced bread. What happened to all those futuristic designs I kept reading about in Truck and Truck and Driver when I was driving during the Eighties and Ninties, they are still not around as we approach 2010. Mind I have to say the designs did little to excite me, a Truck, Wagon or Lorry should look just that, nevermind these mamby pamby must fit in with the environment and not frighten old ladies, dogs or the Green Brigade lot. As for the vehicles themselves well they are all Foreign thesedays and not the reliable super trucks their British counterparts we were told couldn’t compete with otherwise I still wouldn’t be mending them like I was 40 years ago! Come back AEC, Atkinson, ERF, Seddon and all. Franky.
what it is,is now that they brought all the compertition up they aint gotta worry about lookin over their shoulders anymore.theres four or five big truck makers and they have got the world truck market sown up,so they sit back and become complacent.how ■■■■■■ boring.bring back the british truck market
I can remember some exact dates:
Actros was 1996 (I know the last SK with the wide bars in the grille was only from 1994 to 1996)
FH was in 1993 (a friend had a “Truck of the Year 1994” special issue)
Magnum was introduced late 80’s as AE (I remember my test drive in that period, hell, it’s almost an oldtimer)
Daf 95 was in 1987 (a friend’s company bought 2 3600’s but they got only 1, the other one delivered was a 95)
The others I don’t remember exactly, but they are sure also some years around:
Scania 4 series was also around 1996
Man TGA must be somewhere half 90’s (I should have to check that)
Iveco Eurostar I think they were about beginning 90’s
There is a new Actros coming next year or so, somewhere on the www there are these photos of “masked” prototypes. You can be sure that the others also have something coming, maybe Actros will make a start of coming them out.
TIPIT:
I’ve just been checking up and found that ignoring the updates, Merc’s Actros design has been out 13 years now. Scania’s 4 series has been out 14 years (1995.)
Volvo’s FH 16 years (1993) and DAF 's XF 19 years, (1990, if you trace it back to the 95 series.)
When all the English wagons were on the scene everyone was introducing new cabs around every 7 years, early 50’s, late 50’s, mid 60’s then mid 70’s. Surely there must be plans for new models from DAF, Volvo and Scania by now and not just modified versions again…
pity we haven’t got Atkinson, AEC, ERF, Foden etc to keep them on their toes eh !
Tipit I drove my Atki Borderer at the weekend fitted with 220 ■■■■■■■■ could not hear myself think and that after paying
£175 for a padded leather engine cover. No wonder so many of us old timers are mutton jeff. Regards Big Al
The reason is down to cost, introducing the 65/75/85 cab sent Daf into bankruptcy, having spoken to some truck designers it appears that the door aperture 7 door itself is the most costly part, in years to come you will find more manufacturers sharing the same cab & using different panels to distinguish the marques, as seen in the small Renault cab, which is shared by the Volvo FE & the Daf LF, it’s nothing new though & goes back as far as the motor panels cab shared by Guy, Seddon, Scammel, FTF & more I can’t think of now, then there was the 'Club of four" cab used on the Volvo F7, Saviem, Renault & Magirus models. As for the British manufacturers the ERF cab used on the last proper ERF used the same cab structure that was introduced on the b series in the early 70s, the only difference were the outer panels. In the coachbuilt cab days it was a lot easier as they used easy to rearrange wooden frames with a fibreglass or aluminium outer shell, safety regs now mean that they will never be seen again so it seems we’re stuck with our big square boxes from now on.
PHU503R1:
I can remember some exact dates:
Actros was 1996 (I know the last SK with the wide bars in the grille was only from 1994 to 1996)
FH was in 1993 (a friend had a “Truck of the Year 1994” special issue)
Magnum was introduced late 80’s as AE (I remember my test drive in that period, hell, it’s almost an oldtimer)
Daf 95 was in 1987 (a friend’s company bought 2 3600’s but they got only 1, the other one delivered was a 95)
The others I don’t remember exactly, but they are sure also some years around:
Scania 4 series was also around 1996
Man TGA must be somewhere half 90’s (I should have to check that)
Iveco Eurostar I think they were about beginning 90’s
There is a new Actros coming next year or so, somewhere on the www there are these photos of “masked” prototypes. You can be sure that the others also have something coming, maybe Actros will make a start of coming them out.
the TGA hit the roads early 2002 a g8t truck easy too live in and comfy too drive