The Iveco Acco, or ACCO, as it was originally termed, first hit the streets in the 1950s as a no-nonsense, utilitarian workhorse designed primarily for use by the Australian defence forces. Half a century on, and it has lost little of its original ‘no frills’ charm.
More than 78,000 Acco units have been produced at Iveco’s Dandenong factory since the first model was released commercially in 1961, and the latest model, which can trace its lineage back to 1972, is also committed to Victoria as a manufacturing location. In line with Iveco’s ‘think global, act local’ attitude, approximately 85 per cent of the new Acco’s componentry are Australian-sourced.
Headquartered in Italy, Iveco currently employs about 300 people at its Australian head office and manufacturing plant, with about 150 staff involved in the actual manufacturing process. Despite its age, the production line remains efficient and utilises a ‘kit’ system to assemble each mode – not just the Acco, but also the Stralis, Eurocargo and Powerstar models.
One advantage of being locally made is that the Acco can be modified on the production line to suit the truck’s intended application, which means bolt holes and other fastening points can be customised. The positioning of auxiliary components such as fuel, tanks and exhaust systems is also variable.
The latest Acco generation is the result of a multi-million dollar planning and research process that lasted over two years and involved a team of more than 10 of the 40 full-time engineers based at Iveco’s Dandenong facility.
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