International Unveils ‘LoneStar’ Aimed at Owner-Operators
By Howard S. Abramson, Editorial Director
This story appears in the Feb. 18 print edition of Transport Topics.
CHICAGO — International Truck and Engine Corp. jumped into the high-end owner-operator market with a stunningly designed vehicle the company promises will be as aerodynamic and fuel-efficient as it is eye-catching.
International unveiled the new truck line — dubbed LoneStar — in the midst of the Chicago Auto Show, which has grown into one of the nation’s largest, with lots of fanfare and glitz.
The company rolled a gleaming model of the truck for reporters’ examination on Feb. 7, as President Daniel Ustian declared, “This truck is unlike anything on the road today. The International LoneStar closes the gap between work style and lifestyle for driving professionals, combining peak productivity with emotional appeal.”
International unveiled the Lone-Star just months after it began delivering its new line of ProStar fleet trucks, which it claims are the most aerodynamic in the world.
The most striking design feature of the LoneStar is the V-shaped, sweptback grille, which company designers said was inspired by and updated from the company’s D-Series trucks of the early 20th century.
Customers will be able to order LoneStars beginning in April. Production is slated to begin in August, and customer deliveries will start in the fall, the company said.
There will be 42 customizable items on the truck, said Tom Baughman, general manager of International’s Heavy Vehicle Center.
Though the company took five years and $300 million to develop the ProStar line, Baughman said, LoneStar, “in 26 months, went from concept to production.” International was able to save time and money, he said, by skipping the prototype stage because of its recent experience with ProStar, and moved LoneStar from computer imaging and clay model directly to production. That move saved about 12 months of development time.
Baughman said the company would pass some of the development savings to customers in the form of lower prices.
Up to now, Baughman said, owner-operators were faced with choosing either an aerodynamic design or a premium, chrome-studded “classic.”
“We decided to see if we could fill that white space” between the two with the LoneStar, he said.
He promised that LoneStar would have “outstanding fuel economy, as good as any of the aerodynamic trucks,” although not quite as good as ProStar.
Dee Kapur, president of the company’s Navistar Truck Group, said customer research showed the designers that potential buyers wanted three things: “A truck that makes a statement about the driver; comfort on the road, whether working or resting; and a combination of fuel economy and serviceability that helps make them more money.”
David Allendorph, Navistar Truck Group’s chief designer, said Lone-Star would be 5% to 15% more fuel-efficient than so-called “classic trucks,” meaning a savings for drivers of $3,000 to $8,000 a year at current pump prices.
At the same time, Allendorph said, “No other truck’s interior delivers the style, comfort and practicality we have built into the LoneStar.”
The first models of LoneStar will be equipped with Cummins ISX engines, while Caterpillar C15s will be offered in the future. International’s own new heavy-duty engine, the MaxxForce, won’t have the higher-horsepower ranges that International believes is appropriate for the LoneStar.
The LoneStar models will be built at International’s plant in Chatham, Ontario, where it also builds the ProStar.
These have been busy times for International, which is already North America’s largest bus manufacturer. During 2007, it jockeyed back and forth with Freightliner LLC for the lead in market share for heavy-duty trucks in the United States, and it became a major player in the military market with a $1.2 billion contract award for its armored vehicles, which are now being deployed in Iraq.
The company is gearing up to produce the MaxxForce, its first heavy-duty engine line, and recently entered a deal with General Motors to take over GM’s medium-duty truck business.
This story appears in the Feb. 18 print edition of Transport Topics.
CHICAGO — International Truck and Engine Corp. jumped into the high-end owner-operator market with a stunningly designed vehicle the company promises will be as aerodynamic and fuel-efficient as it is eye-catching.
International unveiled the new truck line — dubbed LoneStar — in the midst of the Chicago Auto Show, which has grown into one of the nation’s largest, with lots of fanfare and glitz.The company rolled a gleaming model of the truck for reporters’ examination on Feb. 7, as President Daniel Ustian declared, “This truck is unlike anything on the road today. The International LoneStar closes the gap between work style and lifestyle for driving professionals, combining peak productivity with emotional appeal.”
International unveiled the Lone-Star just months after it began delivering its new line of ProStar fleet trucks, which it claims are the most aerodynamic in the world.
The most striking design feature of the LoneStar is the V-shaped, sweptback grille, which company designers said was inspired by and updated from the company’s D-Series trucks of the early 20th century.
Customers will be able to order LoneStars beginning in April. Production is slated to begin in August, and customer deliveries will start in the fall, the company said.
There will be 42 customizable items on the truck, said Tom Baughman, general manager of International’s Heavy Vehicle Center.
Though the company took five years and $300 million to develop the ProStar line, Baughman said, LoneStar, “in 26 months, went from concept to production.” International was able to save time and money, he said, by skipping the prototype stage because of its recent experience with ProStar, and moved LoneStar from computer imaging and clay model directly to production. That move saved about 12 months of development time.
Baughman said the company would pass some of the development savings to customers in the form of lower prices.
Up to now, Baughman said, owner-operators were faced with choosing either an aerodynamic design or a premium, chrome-studded “classic.”
“We decided to see if we could fill that white space” between the two with the LoneStar, he said.
He promised that LoneStar would have “outstanding fuel economy, as good as any of the aerodynamic trucks,” although not quite as good as ProStar.
Dee Kapur, president of the company’s Navistar Truck Group, said customer research showed the designers that potential buyers wanted three things: “A truck that makes a statement about the driver; comfort on the road, whether working or resting; and a combination of fuel economy and serviceability that helps make them more money.”
David Allendorph, Navistar Truck Group’s chief designer, said Lone-Star would be 5% to 15% more fuel-efficient than so-called “classic trucks,” meaning a savings for drivers of $3,000 to $8,000 a year at current pump prices.
At the same time, Allendorph said, “No other truck’s interior delivers the style, comfort and practicality we have built into the LoneStar.”
The first models of LoneStar will be equipped with Cummins ISX engines, while Caterpillar C15s will be offered in the future. International’s own new heavy-duty engine, the MaxxForce, won’t have the higher-horsepower ranges that International believes is appropriate for the LoneStar.
The LoneStar models will be built at International’s plant in Chatham, Ontario, where it also builds the ProStar.
These have been busy times for International, which is already North America’s largest bus manufacturer. During 2007, it jockeyed back and forth with Freightliner LLC for the lead in market share for heavy-duty trucks in the United States, and it became a major player in the military market with a $1.2 billion contract award for its armored vehicles, which are now being deployed in Iraq.
The company is gearing up to produce the MaxxForce, its first heavy-duty engine line, and recently entered a deal with General Motors to take over GM’s medium-duty truck business.
