Ford A series

Last updated
Ford A series
Ford A-Series Custom (1969 D-Series Chassis).jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Ford UK
Production1973–1983
Body and chassis
Class Light commercial vehicle (M)
Related Ford Transit
Powertrain
Engine 2.4L Ford York engine 3.0L.Ford Essex V6
Transmission 4 speed Manual
Chronology
Predecessor Ford K-Series
Successor Iveco-Ford Daily
Ford Transit III LWB V6

The Ford A series is a range of trucks that was built by Ford UK to bridge the gap between the relatively small Transit of 3.5 metric tonnes GVW and the bigger 7-tonne D series.

Ford A series bus Selly Oak Bus Garage, 1978 - geograph.org.uk - 1801241.jpg
Ford A series bus

In 1967, Ford made the decision to carry out a thorough investigation of the sector of 3.5 to 7 ton GVW trucks. The decision to introduce the range was made in 1970 and development began in early 1971. Public debut for the A series was at the Frankfurt Motor Show 1973. Some 20 vehicles running over 500,000 miles were used during the three-year, 12 million-pound proving and development programme.

The A series was commercially first introduced on September 13, 1973. Over 350 basic variants were built, allowing for wheelbase, gross weight, engine and body types, and also LHD and RHD. Even an articulated tractor or "baby" artic, the AA0709 with a GCW of 6600 kg was added to the range but only sold in the UK. The "A" cab shared most components with the Transit and the most notable differences are the longer and wider wings, longer hood and a different grille. Unlike the Transit that had a facelift in 1977/1978 the "A" retained its profile for the entire period of production.

The A series could be divided into two categories:

Four different engines were offered: a 2.4l 4-cylinder diesel. A 3.54l 6-cylinder diesel, actually a 2.4 with 2 more cylinders, a 2l V4 petrol and a 3l V6 petrol. Three transmissions were offered: Ford 4-speed 4-310 synchro only on 2-3-4, Turner 4 spd T4-150 1-2-3-4 synchro, and the ZF 5 spd S5-24/3 1-2-3-4-5 synchro offered as a high capacity unit. 3 driving axles were offered: The versions with 14-inch wheels had a slightly modified 50-series axle (Ford type 24) similar to the Transit. Ratios 4.625 and 5.125 Single 16 in wheel models had a Salisbury Engineering 8HA/Dana 60 (Ford type 27). Ratios 4.88 to 6.17. Dual 16 in wheel models had a Salisbury Engineering 10HA/Dana 70HD (Ford type 42). Ratios 4.88 to 7.17. Four wheelbases were offered: 120, 130, 145 and 156 inches (3.05, 3.3, 3.68 and 3.96 m).

Production ended in 1983. Effectively, the gap left by the A series range was filled up by the rebadged versions of the Iveco Daily sold by Ford and also the heavier versions of the new (for then) Ford Transit which debuted in 1986.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Transit</span> Range of light commercial vehicles produced by Ford

The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van, cutaway van chassis, and a pickup truck. The vehicle is also known as the Ford T-Series, a nomenclature shared with Ford's other light commercial vehicles, the Ford F-Series trucks, and the Ford E-Series chassis. As of 2015, 8 million Transit vans have been sold, making it the third best-selling van of all time and has been produced across four basic platform generations, with various "facelift" versions of each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overdrive (mechanics)</span> Gearing that lowers engine revolutions

Overdrive is the operation of an automobile cruising at sustained speed with reduced engine speed (rpm), leading to better fuel consumption, lower noise, and lower wear. The term is ambiguous. The most fundamental meaning is that of an overall gear ratio between engine and wheels, such that the car is over-geared, and cannot reach its potential top speed, i.e. the car could travel faster if it were in a lower gear, with the engine turning at higher RPM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen LT</span> Light commercial panel van produced by Volkswagen

The Volkswagen LT is the largest light commercial panel van produced by Volkswagen from 1975 to 2006, before being replaced by the Crafter. Two generations were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford E-Series</span> Line of vans by American automaker

The Ford E-Series is a range of full-size vans manufactured and marketed by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for 1961 as the replacement of the Ford F-Series panel van, four generations of the model line have been produced. Marketed for both cargo and passenger transport configurations, the E-Series has been designed with multiple design variations for both retail and commercial sale, including vans, and commercial-grade cutaway van chassis and stripped chassis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeep CJ</span> Jeep motor vehicle model

The Jeep CJ models are a series and a range of small, open-bodied off-road vehicles and compact pickup trucks, built and sold by several successive incarnations of the Jeep automobile marque from 1945 through 1986. The 1945 Willys "Universal Jeep" was the world's first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge Power Wagon</span> Motor vehicle

The Dodge Power Wagon is a four-wheel drive medium duty truck that was produced in various model series from 1945 to 1980 by Dodge. The Power Wagon name was revived for the 2005 model year as a four-wheel drive version of the Dodge Ram 2500. As a nameplate, "Power Wagon" continues as a special package of the four-wheel drive version of 3/4 ton Ram Trucks 2500 model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Super Duty</span> Heavy-duty line of trucks manufactured by Ford

The Ford Super Duty is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of the Ford F-Series range, from F-250 to the F-600. The F-250 through F-450 are offered as pickup trucks, while the F-350 through F-600 are offered as chassis cabs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairlane (Australia)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fairlane and LTD are full-sized luxury vehicles produced in a series of models by Ford Australia between 1959 and 2007.

Bedford Vehicles, usually shortened to just Bedford, was a brand of vehicle manufactured by Vauxhall Motors, then a subsidiary of multinational corporation General Motors. Established in April 1931, Bedford Vehicles was set up to build commercial vehicles. The company was a leading international lorry brand, with substantial export sales of light, medium, and heavy lorries throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeep Forward Control</span> Series of pickup trucks made by Jeep

The Jeep Forward Control is a truck that was produced by Willys Motors, later named Kaiser Jeep, from 1956 to 1965. It was also assembled in other international markets. The layout featured a cab over design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatra 813</span> Motor vehicle

The TatraT813 was a truck produced in Czechoslovakia by the Tatra company. It was produced from 1967 to 1982. The basic representative of this series was a military version of the 8×8 Kolos (Colossus), which was able to pull trailers up to a total weight of 100 tons. Tatra also produced a civilian version in either 6×6 or 4×4. After fifteen years of production, 11,751 vehicles were built in all modifications. Many units were exported to the USSR, East Germany, Romania and India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land Rover series</span> Motor vehicle

The Land Rover Series I, II, and III, or simply the Land-Rover are compact British off-road vehicles, produced by the Rover Company since 1948, and later by British Leyland. Though inspired by the World War II jeep, the Land Rover immediately distinguished itself from all other cars. From launch, it was the first mass-produced civilian four-wheel drive car with doors, and an available hard roof. Contrary to conventional car and truck chassis, it used a sturdier fully box-welded frame. Furthermore, due to post-war steel shortage, and aluminium surplus, Land Rovers received non-rusting aluminium alloy bodies, favouring their longevity. In 1992, Land Rover claimed that 70% of all the vehicles they had built were still in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford CA</span> Motor vehicle

The Bedford CA was a distinctive pug-nosed light commercial vehicle produced between 1952 and 1969 by Bedford in Luton, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Military Pattern truck</span> 3 ton 4x4 Cargo

Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks were mutually coherent ranges of military trucks, made in large numbers, in several classes and numerous versions, by Canada's branches of the U.S. 'Big Three' auto-makers during World War II, compliant to British Army specifications, primarily intended for use in the armies of the British Commonwealth allies, but also serving in other units of the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford CF</span> Motor vehicle

The Bedford CF is a range of full-size panel vans produced by Bedford. The van was introduced in 1969 to replace the CA model, and was sized to compete directly with the Ford Transit, which had entered production four years earlier. Its design was similar to its American counterpart, the Chevrolet Van (1971–1995).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford P100</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford P100 is a car-based pickup truck that was built by Ford from 1971 to 1995, initially in South Africa, and later Portugal. It was based on medium-sized Ford passenger cars, originally the Cortina/Taunus and from 1988 the Ford Sierra. Initially marketed as the Ford Cortina Pickup, the P100 name was adopted in 1982. The P-100 name had previously been used on a small North American panel van in the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chevrolet van</span> Motor vehicle

The Chevrolet Van or Chevy Van is a range of vans that was manufactured by General Motors from the 1964 to 1996 model years. Introduced as the successor for the rear-engine Corvair Corvan/Greenbrier, the model line also replaced the panel van configuration of the Chevrolet Suburban. The vehicle was sold both in passenger van and cargo van configurations as well as a cutaway van chassis that served as the basis for a variety of custom applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mack model EH trucks</span> American military truck

The Mack model EH trucks were a family of 4x2 trucks used by the US and British military before and during World War II. They were built in conventional and cab-over-engine models and were used as both trucks and semi-tractors. Originally a commercial design, in 1943 a military version became standard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodge T-, V-, W-Series</span> Motor vehicle

In 1939, Dodge presented a completely redesigned line of trucks. Formally the T series for 1939, V series for 1940, and the W series from 1941 through 1947, the trucks became mostly known as the Dodge Job-Rated trucks.

The Toyota FA and BA were heavy duty trucks introduced in February 1954. They were facelifted versions of the earlier BX/FX trucks, retaining those trucks Type B and Type F six-cylinder petrol engines. The first letter in the model name indicates the engine family fitted; in 1957 the Type D diesel engine was introduced in a model known as the DA. The second letter indicated the size of the truck, with shorter medium duty versions being coded BC/FC/DC. A second letter "B" was used on bus versions of this chassis. A second generation FA/DA was introduced in 1964 and was built in Japan until 1980, when Hino replaced Toyota's heavier truck lines entirely. The DA, however, was also built in numerous other countries and manufacture continued into the first decade of the 21st century.

References

  1. "Ford A series Reynolds Boughton RIV front". Fire Engine Photos. Roy and Jason Browne. Retrieved 20 December 2022.