Autocar begins assembly of low-COE

One of the oldest names in the truck industry will be back on the road when the first Autocar-badged Xpeditor truck rolls off the assembly line on Jan. 25. Last July, Grand Vehicle Works Holding LLC (GVW) purchased the venerable brand name and the Xpeditor low-cab-over-engine line from Volvo Trucks of North America, which had been producing the Xpeditor as a Volvo vehicle and had ceased producing trucks under the Autocar name.

The newly formed Autocar LLC is building its single-model Class 8 truck line on a contract basis at VTNA’s New River Valley plant in Dublin, VA, while it searches for a new manufacturing site. The company has narrowed the choice to three locations and should make a final decision in the coming weeks, according to Autocar president Bob Enright, who also serves as president of Union City Body Co., another GVW subsidiary specializing in light walk-in vans.

Initially, the low-entry Xpeditor is being marketed as a refuse collection truck, although it will eventually expand to other niche markets such as airport refueling, says Enright. The new Autocar has approximately 70 dealers lined up to provide sales and service, he told Fleet Owner. It is also involved in discussions with refuse-body suppliers about a number of installation issues and options.