94-660: The Commer FC was a forward control commercial vehicle produced by Commer from 1960 to 1976. During its lifespan, it was developed into the Commer PB in 1967, and the Commer SpaceVan in 1974. After the Rootes Group , which owned Commer, was purchased by Chrysler , the SpaceVan was also sold under the Dodge , DeSoto and Fargo marques . From 1976 onwards, the van was only sold as
188-741: A "premium" marque, Volkswagen often introduces new technologies in Audi-branded cars before fitting them to mainstream products (such as the Direct-Shift Gearbox ). In production, platform sharing is used extensively, with the modular MQB platform underpinning a range of vehicles from the Audi A1 to the Volkswagen Atlas . The previous D platform of the 2000s was used for the Volkswagen Phaeton and Bentley Continental GT (built in steel) and
282-583: A 1.8-liter Perkins diesel engine with 42 hp (31 kW), with a four-speed manual transmission and no automatic available. The last Spacevan was built in 1983. Under PSA's management, the Dodge SpaceVan was succeeded by a rebadged version of the Peugeot J5 (itself a rebadged Fiat Ducato ) called the " Talbot Express "; it was only available for the UK market. On the other hand, Renault Trucks (who had bought
376-428: A 1980s US conventional, the result of such a crash was: Frame, front axle and wheels would go under the truck in front, while the motor got pushed into the cab (which was very small in a 1980s conventional). Both conventionals and cabovers need structural protection against rollovers, and special protection against massive objects at the height of another truck body. The survival space should be able to move backward on
470-425: A COE, provide a level of 60–65 dB(A) . Because of their flat front design, early COE semi-trucks had significantly worse aerodynamics than conventional tractors. Modern cab-over designs, in both semi-trucks and light- and medium-duty models, have improved aerodynamics significantly over early models, but often still have higher drag coefficients than their modern conventional-design counterparts. Although
564-612: A Chrysler interior. For the 1989 model year, Toyota and Nissan introduced the Lexus and Infiniti luxury brands in the United States (following the Acura luxury brand of Honda) with the all-new Lexus LS400 and Infiniti Q45 full-size sedans. Both brands expanded their model line for 1990, sourcing an existing model line from the Japanese market to rebrand as an entry-level offering. The Lexus ES250
658-466: A Chrysler powertrain, the Routan received its own styling and content features as well as a standard "sportier suspension and steering". In Japan, automobile manufacturers differed in the marketing of their product ranges. In contrast to marketing a single vehicle under multiple brand names (with minor changes to exterior bodywork), Japanese manufacturers marketed vehicles through multiple sales networks, with
752-498: A Swedish standard, and was adopted by the European Community in simplified form as ECE R-29 in 1974. During the early 1980s, the safest place for a truck driver was a European truck, usually a cabover. Motor placement before or under the cab does not have much influence on the results of rollovers. Behind the danger of a rollover, heavy truck on heavy truck crashes are the second most relevant reason for occupant casualties. With
846-594: A car through each brand; for example, the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade each share a common body. In another example, the same model is rebadged when it is sold in different regions and markets. In Australia, during the 1980s and 1990s, the Button car plan required imported Nissans and Toyotas to adopt Ford and Holden (GM) nameplates. In the United Kingdom, Opel-produced vehicles are marketed under
940-677: A common platform to produce the American version of the Odyssey minivan, also underpinning the Honda Pilot and Honda Passport SUVs, the Acura MDX CUV, and the Honda Ridgeline mid-size pickup truck. Although intended to save development costs by spreading design and research costs over several vehicles, rebadging can also become problematic if not implemented properly. Using multiple car brands under
1034-502: A decline in sales to less than 1000 units worldwide, with European sales declining by 50% and sales in South America by 90%, within one decade. In addition, Asian regulations are typically stricter, and the relatively shorter journey distances allow trucks to forgo sleepers to save even more length. Cabover trucks are widely used in the United States for refuse collection , terminal tractors , and other vocational applications requiring
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#17330863389341128-707: A distinct vehicle being sold under various model nameplates (from a single manufacturer). Toyota marketed the Corolla in Japan exclusively at Toyota Corolla Store locations; at Toyota Auto Store locations, it was named the Toyota Sprinter . Nissan sold the Nissan Cedric through its Nissan Bluebird Store network, with the identical Nissan Gloria through the Nissan Prince Store network. Honda previously marketed
1222-551: A five-passenger interior. Coinciding with the 1998 Daimler-Chrysler merger, the Eagle brand was discontinued; the singular Jeep brand was integrated as part of Chrysler or Dodge dealership networks. The Chrysler 300M was originally developed as a second generation of the Eagle Vision; following the discontinuation of Eagle, the vehicle continued into production as a Chrysler model, adopting a slightly restyled grille, Chrysler badging, and
1316-536: A joint venture with a local manufacturer to manufacture automobiles in the country. Prior to 2022, the Chinese government dictates that no more than two joint ventures are allowed for each foreign investor. Larger foreign manufacturers often set up two joint ventures to maximize the market reach, including Toyota ( FAW Toyota and GAC Toyota ), Ford (JMC-Ford and Changan Ford ), Volkswagen ( SAIC-VW and FAW-VW ) and Honda ( Dongfeng Honda and Guangqi Honda ). To distribute
1410-458: A maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h) and a 0–50 mph (80 km/h) time of 25 seconds, indicating a higher top speed but, in this form, slower acceleration than the BMC competitor. However, the testers reported that at 70 mph (110 km/h) the van was "plainly at its absolute limit, screaming away in a most distressing fashion"; readers were advised to view 65 mph (105 km/h) as
1504-493: A model to carry over to its rebadged model counterparts. Through the 2000s, the American Big Three automakers reduced their brand footprint by closing or selling underperforming brands. After 2001, Chrysler discontinued its Plymouth brand (following the closure of Eagle in 1998). In response to the late 2000s recession, Ford ended its ownership of Jaguar , Land Rover , Aston Martin , and Volvo Cars ; in 2010, Mercury
1598-462: A more realistic absolute maximum. Reportedly, one condition of the government bailout of Chrysler's British operations in 1976 was a commitment to upgrade the Spacevan, which was praised for its brakes, cornering, and price, but criticized for its power, comforts, and top speed. A revised Spacevan was thus introduced in 1977, using the same mechanicals but with numerous cosmetic changes, conveniences, and
1692-626: A new interior. Although outdated by its demise in 1982, the Spacevan remained a familiar sight in the UK thanks to its role with Post Office Telecommunications whose contract was almost solely responsible for it remaining in production after the acquisition of Commer by Peugeot. The extant fleet and outstanding orders were inherited by British Telecom on its formation in October 1981. By this time, there were three engines: two 1.7 L petrol engines of either 50 hp (37 kW) (with low compression) or 58 hp (43 kW) (with high compression), and
1786-411: A new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manufacturer creates a distinct automobile by applying a new "badge" or trademark (brand, logo, or manufacturer's name/make/marque) to an existing product line. Rebadging is also known as rebranding and badge engineering ; the latter is an intentionally ironic misnomer in that little or no actual engineering takes place. The term originated with
1880-572: A revised version of their product through an OEM deal, as with Volkswagen marketing a modified version of the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans as the Volkswagen Routan (2009–2014). Another example was the joint venture of Mitsubishi and Chrysler that resulted in vehicles produced by Diamond-Star Motors that were marketed under various nameplates from 1985 until 1993. In China, foreign manufacturers were required to form
1974-753: A sedan, hatchback, or SUV/CUV body designs. Automotive industry rebadging can be compared with white-label products in other consumer goods industries, such as consumer electronics and power tools . The first case of badge engineering appeared in 1917 with the Texan automobile assembled in Fort Worth, Texas, that made use of Elcar bodies made in Elkhart, Indiana. "Probably the industry's first example of one car becoming another" occurred in 1926 when Nash Motors ' newly introduced smaller-sized Ajax models were discontinued in 1926 after over 22,000 Ajax cars were sold during
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#17330863389342068-554: A shared appearance; Cadillac Eldorado Seville , Buick Limited Riviera , Oldsmobile Starfire 98 , Pontiac Bonneville Catalina , and the Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala . A later example was Wolseley Motors after it was bought out by William Morris . After World War I , "Wolseley started to lose its identity and eventually succumbed to badge engineering." This was repeated with the consolidation of Austin Motor Company and
2162-409: A single-parent manufacturer can significantly increase selling costs, as each model line must be marketed separately, requiring a distinct dealership network. Inappropriate use of rebadging can also hurt overall sales by resulting in "cannibalism" between two or more brands owned by the same company by failing to develop a distinct image for each brand or by allowing the market failure of one version of
2256-591: A singular GM brand. As an exception, Cadillac offers division-exclusive engines (the Northstar and Blackwing V8 engine families). In 1981, GM lost a 1977 lawsuit related to consumers (who purchased 1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88s equipped with a 350 cu in (5.7 L) Chevrolet small-block engine instead of the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile V8 engine ). At the time of production, GM had downsized its full-size model lines in preparation for another oil crisis and had increased production of V6 engines as
2350-468: A tight turning radius or frequent ingress/egress by the driver. Autocar , the oldest surviving motor vehicle manufacturer in America, produces primarily cabover trucks. Although cabover trucks were popular among U.S. heavy truckers and trucking companies during the 1970s because of strict length laws in many states, when those length laws were repealed, most heavy-truck makers moved to other body styles. One of
2444-461: A tilting cab, with the last non-tilting cabs produced well into 1983. Truck occupant safety depends on survival space within the cab, with " rollover " being the most significant heavy truck accident causing occupant casualties. In the 1950s, when many truck cabs were still wooden structures, knowledge about the most common accidents was already established, and led to the first mechanized truck cab crash test in 1959, performed by Volvo. The test became
2538-629: Is "to spread the huge development costs of a new vehicle over as many cars as possible". An example is General Motors' rebadging of the Camaro as the Firebird , a successful model from the 1960s through to the 2000s. In most cases, consumers are interested in each brand's focus "on the unique elements of styling and driving characteristics". Some cars would not be marketed without the cost savings that are obtained from this practice, and carmakers can develop many "different models – all wearing different badges – off
2632-411: Is a body style of truck , bus , or van that has a vertical front, "flat face" or a semi-hood , with the cab of the truck sitting above (or forward of) the front axle . This contrasts with a conventional truck where the engine is mounted in front of the driver. This truck configuration is currently common among European and Asian truck manufacturers. European regulations set restrictions for both
2726-641: Is a four-door sedan derived from the V20 Toyota Camry. Though visibly similar to the Camry introduced for 1987, the ES250 was a rebranded Toyota Camry Prominent/Vista ; a model developed for Japan, the Prominent/Vista (dependent on sales network) is a four-door pillared hardtop sedan with a slightly lower roofline and restyled body panels. Along with the change to left-hand drive, the ES250 adopted an interior similar to
2820-418: Is above the front axle . In the 1970s, COEs used to be noisier, because the engine is directly below. This was an important consideration back then: Interior noise in the cab was between 80 and 90 dB(A) , creating an unhealthy work environment . As of 2017 , US long-distance trucks provide an interior noise level of 60–70 dB(A) at highway speed, while European long-distance trucks, all built as
2914-477: Is amortized tooling costs, which means the vehicle can be produced at a higher margin of profit (or a lower price, or both). Badge engineering occurs in the luxury -type market segments. An automobile manufacturer will use a model from its mainstream brand as a basis for a model under a premium marque by upgrading its features, technology, and/or styling. Along with visible cosmetic differences, premium models may also receive upgraded drivetrains. An example of this
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3008-738: Is that Ford Motor Company marketed its mainstream Ford Fusion mid-size sedan as the Lincoln MKZ ; the Ford Expedition SUV is sold as the Lincoln Navigator . A more controversial example was the Aston Martin Cygnet , a rebadged version of the Toyota iQ city car (intended to comply with EU emissions regulations). While fitted with model-specific trim and a luggage set, the Cygnet nearly tripled
3102-631: Is when two separate manufacturers trade products, filling gaps in their respective product lineups. During the 1990s, Honda and Isuzu entered into such an agreement, with Isuzu marketing the first-generation Honda Odyssey as the Isuzu Oasis as its first minivan. In return, Honda received the Isuzu Rodeo and Isuzu Trooper SUVs, which became the Honda Passport and Acura SLX ; the agreement allowed both Honda and Isuzu to enter new vehicle segments without
3196-589: The 1973 oil crisis , General Motors expanded fuel-efficient offerings beyond its Chevrolet division, reintroducing compact cars to its Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac brands. Derived from the X-platform Chevrolet Nova , the Pontiac Ventura was introduced for the 1971 model year, with the Buick Apollo and Oldsmobile Omega introduced for 1973. These four X-platform vehicles (also known as N-O-V-A from
3290-682: The Audi A8 (built in aluminum). In the Japanese automotive industry, platform sharing has expanded model offerings in North America. While the initial Lexus LS was developed specifically for the American market, the later Lexus ES has shared a platform (but not a body) with the Toyota Camry (since 2013, the Toyota Avalon , itself also based on the Camry). Exclusive primarily to North America, Honda uses
3384-722: The Dodge SpaceVan , and it remained in production until 1983. Commer became known in later years as a maker of vans for the British Post Office —particularly the Commer FC which was introduced in 1960 with many body styles, including a 1,500 cc (92 cu in) van. After engine and interior upgrades it was renamed the PB in 1967 and the SpaceVan in 1974. Following the merger of Rootes Group with Chrysler to form Chrysler Europe ,
3478-654: The Ford Fusion ; as part of its 2013 redesign, no other exterior panels); Cadillac rebranded the Opel Omega B as the Cadillac Catera as its first mid-size car, but replaced it, eventually moving towards platform sharing with other divisions. From 1982 until 1986, the front-wheel drive A platform underpinned the Chevrolet Celebrity , Cutlass Ciera , Pontiac 6000 , and Buick Century . As part of their legacy,
3572-756: The Honda Accord through multiple sales networks, marketing the Accord through the Honda Clio network and renaming it as the Honda Vigor for Honda Verno locations (conversely, the Vigor was renamed the Honda Inspire for the Clio network). The practice of producing multiple versions of the same vehicle would eventually lead to distinct vehicles produced for export. In North America,
3666-642: The Kenworth and Peterbilt brands) still manufactures traditional cab over engine designs for the Australian and South African markets where length restrictions still make them advantageous. In Australia , both American (cab over axle) and European/Japanese/Chinese ( cab forward of axle) types, as well as the conventional type are common. Cab over engine types dominate urban and light duty use, with conventional trucks predominating in remote and off-road areas. Both types are common for highway use. The first truck in
3760-524: The Metro series of vans and trucks for International Harvester . The bodies for these vehicles were initially produced by the Metropolitan Body Company (MBC). The company produced a wide variety of truck and commercial bodies for several vehicle manufacturers such as Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge Bros., and International Harvester until 1948 when they were purchased by the latter. MBC was instrumental in
3854-557: The Nuffield Organization (parent company of Morris Motors ) to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC). The rationalization of production to gain efficiencies "did not extend to marketing", and each "model was adapted, by variation in trim and accessories, to appeal to customer loyalties for whom the badge denoting the company of origin was an important selling advantage ... 'Badge Engineering', as it became known,
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3948-630: The Toyota Sprinter / Chevrolet Prizm , and later the Toyota Matrix / Pontiac Vibe . In another agreement, Ford and Nissan developed and produced the Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest minivans from 1993 through 2002. Another example was the cooperative work between Volkswagen and Ford to develop the VW Sharan , Ford Galaxy , and SEAT Alhambra . Badge engineering may occur when one company allows another, otherwise unaffiliated, company to market
4042-589: The Yusheng S330 developed by Jiangling Motors (JMC) . Badge engineering could be used as a strategy to lengthen the life cycle of a vehicle. After a product has reached the end of its life cycle, it may be transferred to another brand, mostly from the same holding company or joint venture. Examples include the SEAT Exeo , a rebadged Audi A4 B7 with reworked styling, which was built in Spain from used production tooling from
4136-402: The 1,725 cc (105.3 cu in) unit in the PB, only the cast-iron-head version of this engine were used. A Perkins 4108 diesel was also available. The "1725 cc engine" (as it is known; it actually displaces 1,724 cc (105.2 cu in)) was available in the 1970s with a Borg Warner (BW) Model 35 three-speed automatic transmission with a dashboard-mounted selector. This
4230-413: The 1973 oil crisis and to regain lost market share, both Cadillac and Lincoln introduced smaller vehicles for their brand. In one of the most controversial uses of rebranding in automotive history, both vehicles were derived from smaller GM and Ford divisional model ranges. For the 1977 model year, Lincoln released the Lincoln Versailles to match the debut of the Cadillac Seville . In contrast with
4324-415: The 1976 Pontiac Sunbird . Similarly, to the X-body vehicles, the H-body subcompacts shared common bodies across all four divisions with differing grille, lamp, and body trim variations. Prior to 1981, the majority of General Motors vehicles were produced with engines designed by their respective divisions. From 1981 onward, GM ended its policy of divisionally-developed engines, instead offering engines under
4418-529: The 1980 model year. For 1982, Cadillac released the Cadillac Cimarron to compete against compact European-brand executive sedans . The smallest Cadillac produced since the 1900s, the Cimarron used the chassis of the GM J-body four-door sedan. Developed and brought to market less than a year before the J-body was released, Cadillac was left with almost no time to distinguish the Cimarron from its divisional counterparts from Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. Though sharing nearly its entire exterior with
4512-415: The 1990s, GM advertising featured a disclaimer stating '"Oldsmobiles (or any other GM division) are equipped with engines manufactured by various GM divisions, subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide."' Prior to the mid-1970s, the American luxury brands Lincoln and Cadillac offered model lines consisting entirely of full-size two-door and four-door sedans and full-size personal luxury cars. At the beginning of
4606-473: The A-bodies became enormously popular – as well as synonymous with one of GM's most transparent examples of badge engineering : they were simultaneously presented, almost indistinguishably, on the 22 August 1983 cover of Forbes magazine as examples of genericized uniformity, embarrassing the company and ultimately prompting GM to recommit to design leadership. In 1987, Chrysler Corporation acquired American Motors Corporation (AMC) from Renault , leading to
4700-469: The Audi plant in Ingolstadt after the A4 B7 production had ended. The tooling was dismantled from Ingolstadt and was sent to the SEAT manufacturing plant in Martorell , Spain, to be reinstalled. Another example is the Dongfeng Fengdu MX6, which was produced after the near-identical Nissan X-Trail (T31) production had ended, and the Maruti Suzuki Zen Estilo, which is based on the then-recently discontinued Suzuki MR Wagon . The advantage of this strategy
4794-417: The Bedford and Ford Transit models it sold against was that, as on the BMC J2 and J4 models the forward-control design restricted access to the engine and made engine changes labour-intensive; the only way to remove the engine without dropping the suspension subframe was to crane the engine out through the passenger door. A 1974 road test of a motor caravan version fitted with the 1725 cc engine reported
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#17330863389344888-418: The Breeze from the original CR-V , the Elysion from the Odyssey , the XR-V from the HR-V , and others. In other cases, foreign manufacturers may also rebadge a model developed by its partner, sometimes for exports to other markets. Examples include the second generation Chevrolet Captiva which is an export version of the Baojun 530 made by SAIC-GM-Wuling , or the Ford Territory , a reworked version of
4982-408: The COE designs' being smaller in general, over-the-road tractors can still be fully equipped with single or bunk beds. Also, lack of a hood gives better visibility to the driver and a tighter turning radius , and significantly reduces the forward blind spots . One critique is that the shorter wheelbase in the COE semi-trucks gives a rougher ride than those with conventional cabs, as the driver's seat
5076-399: The Jeep range, Eagle was marketed towards consumers interested in imported vehicles. For 1992, the Eagle Vision full-size sedan replaced the Premier, becoming the first Eagle-brand vehicle developed by Chrysler. Positioned between the Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde, the Eagle Vision shared most exterior trim with the Concorde. It was the only Chrysler LH car offered exclusively with
5170-417: The M30 differed from the Leopard primarily in its steering wheel location. Intended largely as placeholder models, the ES250 and M30 were largely overshadowed by their companion flagship sedans. Following the end of the 1992 model year, both models were withdrawn (as their Japanese counterparts had ended their model cycles). For 1993, the ES250 was replaced by the ES300; while again sharing its body with
5264-410: The Seville (sharing its chassis underpinnings both the Chevrolet Nova and the Chevrolet Camaro), the Versailles shared nearly its entire body with the Mercury Monarch (itself a counterpart of the Ford Granada ); the model line also replaced the previous Mercury Grand Monarch Ghia . Outsold by the Seville nearly three-to-one, the Versailles sold far under sales predictions and was discontinued early in
5358-421: The SpaceVan was sold as a Dodge and Fargo model until 1976, when both Commer and Fargo names were dropped. These were rounded-front forward-control vans with narrow front track—a legacy of their Humber car-derived suspension. Utilising at first the Hillman -derived 1,500 cc (92 cu in) four-cylinder engine in the PA series, then the larger 1,600 cc (98 cu in), and from 1968 onwards
5452-508: The Toyota Sprinter was marketed as the Chevrolet Nova (and the Geo Prizm that replaced it). The Honda Vigor and Inspire were marketed as the Acura Vigor and TL; Nissan sold the Gloria in the United States as the Infiniti M45 . Two automakers can also pool resources by operating a joint venture to create a product and then selling each as their own. For example, General Motors and Toyota formed NUMMI . The vehicles produced from this venture (though not necessarily at NUMMI itself) included
5546-444: The United States was built by Autocar in 1899 using a format then called "engine-under-the-seat" and was available with optional 5 or 8 horsepower (3.7 or 6.0 kilowatts) motors. Although early Autocar trucks were not exactly "cab-over", since the truck did not have a cab, per se, they were the fore-runners to COEs. The Sternberg company of Wisconsin produced cab-over trucks as early as 1907, though by 1914 only their seven-ton model
5640-411: The Vauxhall brand; when sold in the United States, Opels were marketed as Saturns, Chevrolets, and Buicks. Conversely, the Australian Holden brand was never sold in North America, but the Holden Monaro and Holden Commodore were sold under the Pontiac (Pontiac GTO, Pontiac G8), Chevrolet (Chevrolet SS), and Buick (Buick Regal Sportback/Buick Regal TourX) nameplates. Another way badge engineering may occur
5734-749: The automotive industry. Alongside a shared chassis (though unibody construction is nearly universal in cars and many light trucks), platform sharing also standardizes components such as drivetrain, suspensions, components, and other technologies. General Motors used the B platform for many of its non-Cadillac full-size vehicles (nearly exclusively from 1959 through 1985), while Chrysler used its B platform for intermediates and its C platform for (non-Imperial) full-size cars. The Volkswagen Group uses platform sharing as its business strategy to improve its profitability and growth. For example, Audi uses components from their more pedestrian counterparts, sold as Volkswagen mass-market brands. As an effort to place Audi as
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#17330863389345828-434: The brand's inaugural year. The chairman and CEO of the company, Charles W. Nash , ordered that the Ajax models be marketed as the "Nash Light Six", Nash being a known and respected automobile brand. Production was stopped for two days so Nash emblems, hubcaps, and radiator shells could be exchanged on all unshipped Ajax cars. Conversion kits were also distributed at no charge to Ajax owners to transform their cars and protect
5922-426: The cab-over design allows the vehicle's wheelbase to be shorter than in the conventional arrangement , wherein the engine is placed in front of the cab, covered by a horizontal or sloping hood that opens to allow engine access. Its shorter wheelbase allows cab-over semi-trucks to have a shorter overall length, thereby allowing for longer trailers to be used. For light- and medium-duty solid- or rigid-axle trucks,
6016-533: The cab-over design requires less length for the cab and engine, in a given wheelbase, and therefore allows a greater length for the truck body or load area. In both class 8 tractors and light- and medium-duty vocational trucks, the cab-over-engine design gives the COE model an advantage in maneuverability over a conventional model. And since COEs are generally lighter than conventionals, they can often haul heavier loads, given equal gross vehicle weight rating (GVWRs) and gross combination weight rating (GCWRs). Despite
6110-416: The cost of engineering an all-new vehicle design (at the same time, in Europe, the Honda Crossroad was a rebadged Land Rover Discovery ). During the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Volkswagen Routan was a rebranded version of the Dodge Grand Caravan, supplied as Volkswagen sought to re-enter the North American minivan segment without the investment of federalizing its design. Assembled by Chrysler with
6204-464: The decade, European automakers began to market their largest sedans as luxury vehicles in North America. Though the BMW Bavaria/3.0Si , Jaguar XJ6/XJ12 , and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) were priced similar to the Cadillac Sedan de Ville and Lincoln Continental, the model lines were thousands of pounds lighter and multiple feet shorter in length (with only the hand-built Rolls-Royce Phantom V rivaling Lincoln and Cadillac in size). In response to both
6298-409: The design in 1934. Autocar reintroduced the engine-under-the-seat format with their Model U in 1933, which became a staple of U.S. roads and the U.S. military through World War II and well into the 1950s. White- Freightliner introduced its first tilting cab-over design in 1958, which allowed the entire cab to tilt forward for access to the engine. In Class 8 tractors (using the US designation),
6392-411: The development of COE route delivery bodies in the 1930s. The laws of the time limited overall truck length to 42 feet (12.8 m) on highways. Setting the cab over the engine and front axle shaved several feet off the length of the tractor, feet which could then be added to the length of the trailer while keeping the dimensions of the entire truck within the permissible limit. Schreckengost patented
6486-422: The exit of the latter company from the North American market. As part of the sale, Chrysler obtained the AMC dealership network, the AMC Eagle line of all-wheel drive cars, and the Jeep line of sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks. For 1989, Chrysler established the Jeep-Eagle Division in a strategy to both focus on Jeep and offer specialty cars differentiated from the established Chrysler lines. Following
6580-402: The first letters of their model names) were produced with identical bodies with divisional differences marked only with specific grille, lamp, and body trim variations. To expand its footprint in the subcompact segment, the H-body Chevrolet Vega platform was used for the 1975 model year for newly styled variants sold as the Chevrolet Monza , Buick Skyhawk , and Oldsmobile Starfire followed by
6674-417: The four-door Chevrolet Cavalier, the Cimarron was priced nearly twice as high as its counterpart. Additionally, J-body vehicles from other divisions could be equipped nearly identically to the Cimarron for a lower cost. Though the model line closely matched its Buick Skyhawk and Oldsmobile Firenza counterparts in sales, the Cimarron was discontinued following the 1988 model year. Though the Lincoln Versailles
6768-487: The frame. In military use, the COE design increases the chance of crew injury or death in the event of running over a landmine . This is because the tire that detonates the mine is directly below/beside the driver. Rebadged In the automotive industry , rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering
6862-486: The front and into the cab. European or Chinese or Japanese truckers enter their cab in a straight fashion with handrails left and right. Cabovers are also very popular in the US's light- and medium-duty truck segment where compact size is required for urban mobility without sacrificing payload; Hino (a Toyota subsidiary), Isuzu , and Mitsubishi Fuso models are a regular sight for this reason. American company Paccar (which owns
6956-438: The intended standard engine, underestimating consumer demand for Oldsmobile V8 engines. To accommodate the increased market demand, nearly 60% of Delta 88s were equipped with a Chevrolet 5.7 L V8 for 1977. The lawsuit was filed by the state of Illinois, claiming GM falsely advertised the vehicles. In 1981, GM settled the lawsuit with the vehicle buyers and discontinued their company-unique policy of division-specific engines. Into
7050-492: The investment they had made in purchasing an automobile made by Nash. Starting with the beginning of General Motors in 1909, chassis and platforms were shared with all brands. GMC , which historically was a truck builder, began to offer its products branded as Chevrolet , and vehicles produced by GM were built on common platforms shared with Chevrolet, Oakland , Oldsmobile , Buick , and Cadillac . Exterior appearances were gradually upgraded between these vehicle brands. This
7144-616: The larger LS (along with similarly styled wheels and taillamps). The Infiniti M30 is a two-door notchback coupe derived from the Nissan Leopard (a model never sold in North America). Along with the coupe, Infiniti sold the M30 as a two-door convertible (converted in the United States). With the exception of its badging and its dashboard (sourced from the left-hand drive Nissan Skyline ),
7238-482: The mini bus were produced by other coach builders. They used the high compression steel head motors; not the alloy head Hillman Hunter units. Generally, one unit was produced in the morning and another unit in the afternoon; i.e. 10 units per week, a third unit could be produced each day when sales were higher. Forward control Cab-over , also known as cab over engine ( COE ), cab forward or flat face (U.S.), flat nose (Canada), or forward control (UK),
7332-407: The one platform". In several countries including Japan, manufacturers often use the phrase " OEM supply" or "OEM-supplied" to denote vehicles that are a rebadged model from or for other manufacturers. Although platform sharing can often involve rebadging and rebranding, it can extend further, as the design may be used across multiple configurations. For example, a single platform may underpin
7426-400: The practice of replacing an automobile's emblems to create an ostensibly new model sold by a different maker. Changes may be confined to swapping badges and emblems, or may encompass minor styling differences, as with cosmetic changes to headlights , taillights, front and rear fascias , and even outer body skins. More extreme examples involve differing engines and drivetrains . The objective
7520-494: The previous years, the Dodge SpaceVan remained a familiar sight on British roads up until the mid-1990s. This van was produced in New Zealand by Todd Motors at their Petone Factory. It was last produced in 1974 in their secondary body factory on the other side to the railway tracks from the main car assembly plant. They produced a standard panel van, a mini bus body with sliding side windows, and cab and chassis models. The seats for
7614-519: The price of the iQ. Alternatively, VW Group under Ferdinand Piëch used the reverse of this in some circumstances, engineering the more luxurious model first and then remove features for models from less prestigious marques. Examples include the Lamborghini Gallardo / Audi R8 and the Audi A4 / Volkswagen Passat . Along with rebadging and badge engineering, platform sharing is common throughout
7708-689: The production and sales rights to each joint venture, manufacturers often resort to a similar strategy deployed in Japan: simply producing the exact model under two different names with minor changes to exterior bodywork. GAC Toyota has produced the Levin as a twin model to the FAW Toyota-built Corolla and the Wildlander as the alternative to the RAV4 . Honda awarded several models to two joint ventures, which spawned
7802-482: The reasons is the Federal Bridge Formula , which is unique to the US, and encourages spreading out the load. If axle distances are too tight, the maximum load allowance is reduced. For COEs operated at maximum weight in the US, this required an axle directly behind the front bumper. This cab design caused an awkward climb into the cab for the driver, forcing them to climb up behind the front wheel, then moving to
7896-400: The regional Big Threes of the United States, Europe, and Japan) owns a portfolio of different brands and markets the same car under different brands and nameplates. The practice is used for multiple reasons. In one example, a company may do so to expand its range of different brands in a market without the cost of developing completely new models. In the United States, General Motors may sell
7990-490: The retirement of the AMC Eagle Wagon in early 1988 (derived from the 1971 AMC Hornet), Eagle established its product line with the introduction of the 1988 Premier and Medallion (developed by Renault prior to the sale of AMC). To expand the product range beyond the two sedans, Chrysler sourced vehicles from Mitsubishi, introducing the 1989 Summit (Dodge/Plymouth Colt) and 1990 Talon (Mitsubishi Eclipse). In contrast to
8084-433: The tilting cab gives comparatively unobstructed access to the engine, its deployment causes unsecured items in the cab and sleeper (if equipped) to fall onto the windshield or under the instrument panel . Vehicles without a tilting cab will usually be equipped with removable floor panels through which mechanics can access and service the engine. In Europe, Mercedes-Benz was the last manufacturer to use such panels instead of
8178-486: The total length and the length of the load area, which allow a cab length of 2.35 m (7 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in) in combination with the maximum load area length. This allows a sleeper cab with a narrow bunk, or a bonneted (hooded) day cab. Nonetheless, no manufacturer in Europe produces such day cabs with bonnets. The last manufacturer of a conventional truck in Europe, Scania , stopped production in 2005 due to
8272-461: The truck division of Chrysler Europe ) offered the Dodge 50 series as the successor to the SpaceVan, being available as both a van, chassis cab and pickup - thus offering a wider variety of body styles than the Talbot Express. Nevertheless, the 50 series range was significantly bigger and heavier than the SpaceVan. In contrary to its rivals, which had disappeared from everyday streetscape during
8366-530: Was a cab-over. They reintroduced the cab-over layout in 1933 with their "Camel Back" model, which allowed the cab to be tilted to access the engine. The introduction of the first modern cab-over layout in the United States is credited to industrial designer Viktor Schreckengost , who, with engineer Ray Spiller, designed a cab-over truck for the White Motor Company in 1932. Schreckengost was later joined by other designers such as Raymond Loewy who designed
8460-493: Was closed by Ford. General Motors underwent several brand revisions; following the discontinuation of the Geo sub-brand of Chevrolet in 1997, Oldsmobile was closed after 2004 (the oldest American nameplate at the time). Following its 2009 bankruptcy, GM closed Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer in 2010; Saab was sold (eventually leading to its demise). GM sold its European Opel and Vauxhall brands in 2017 to PSA (now Stellantis). In response to
8554-612: Was largely forgotten after its 1980 discontinuation (its role superseded by the downsizing of the Lincoln Continental for 1982), the Cimarron would cause extensive damage to the Cadillac brand, as its market share declined by almost 50% from 1980 to 1998. As of current production, neither Lincoln nor Cadillac has marketed a compact-segment car. Through the use of rebranding, Lincoln produced the mid-size Lincoln MKZ (sharing its doors with
8648-479: Was not a popular option and few were built. The four-speed gearbox on manual transmission models was based on those fitted to contemporary Hillman Minx (of the "Audax" generation) and later Rootes Arrow series cars such as the Hillman Hunter. An unusual feature of the model was that the handbrake operated on the front drum brakes. One of the reasons that the van was less popular with fleet operators than
8742-522: Was partly because all bodywork was provided by Fisher Body which was bought by GM in 1925, and the introduction of the Art and Color Section in 1928, directed by Harley Earl . For the 1958 model year, GM was promoting its fiftieth year of production and introduced anniversary models for each brand; Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet. The 1958 models shared an almost identical appearance on all models for each brand and made special luxury models with
8836-513: Was symptomatic of a policy of sales competition between the constituent organizations". The ultimate example of BMC badge engineering was the 1962 BMC ADO16 which was available badged as a Morris, MG, Austin, Wolseley, Riley and the upmarket Vanden Plas . A year earlier, the Mini was also available as Austin, Morris, Riley, and Wolseley – the latter two having slightly bigger boots. Badge engineering often occurs when an individual manufacturer (such as
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