From aftermarketNews Staff & Wire Reports
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Navistar Engine Group this week celebrated the 75th anniversary of its first production diesel engine, the D-40, with the dedication of the facility that will build its newest diesel engine family, MaxxForce Big Bore.
Additionally, the event highlighted the company’s scope and reach—engine offerings ranging from 50-475 hp for use in on- and off-highway, agricultural, industrial, defense and stationary power applications—as well as plans for global expansion.
Navistar Chairman, President and CEO, Dan Ustian, and Engine Group President, Jack Allen, spoke to a crowd of global OEM customers and prospects, local dignitaries and Navistar employees, delivering a retrospective look at the company’s 75 years of diesel engine production leadership and a visionary look forward at where the diesel technology leader is heading.
“This milestone is about much more than an anniversary,” said Ustian. “This is about our scientists, designers, engineers and manufacturing personnel around the world, who for decades have been responsible for the performance and quality that made reaching this point possible.”
In 1933 Navistar, then International Harvester, launched its first production diesel, a 50 horsepower four-cylinder engine for stationary and agricultural applications, and effectively began its legacy. For the next 75 years the company shaped and developed the diesel industry and established itself as a leader, producing innovative engines for agricultural, construction, military and on-highway applications. Significant milestones during those years include the introduction of the DT 466, the Ford Power Stroke Diesel, the first smokeless diesel engine, the first fully electronically controlled Mid-range commercial diesel and the Green Diesel Technology platform which led the way for today’s advanced clean diesel technologies.
Today, and more than 15 million engines later, Navistar focuses exclusively on high-performance diesel engines for a roster of customers around the world. Its on-road automotive customers include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Volkswagen, Volvo and Land Rover, which use Navistar diesels to power commercial trucks, pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles. Navistar also produces diesel powerplants for commercial off-road vehicles and equipment for across the globe.
The company commands 42 percent of the midrange diesel engine market and 64 percent of the school bus engine market in North America. In South America, Navistar Engine Group commands more than 50 percent market share of the mid-size pickup and SUV segment, and accounts for nearly 40 percent of all commercial and consumer diesel engines produced. And Navistar continues to grow rapidly on other continents, especially in India, China and Eastern Europe.
“Our growth has given Navistar Engine Group the scale to realize big competitive advantages on the global stage,” said Allen, “including broader supply base choices, recruitment of top industry talent, competitive cost structure, and more depth in technical expertise and facilities. This all fuels our ability to deliver great products that meet the demands of customers for clean air and the attributes they value the most – capability, performance, reliability and durability.”
The MaxxForce Big Bore Assembly facility is the newest addition to Navistar’s roster of first-class global engine facilities. With operations now underway, the 300,000-square-foot state-of-the-art plant produces the technologically advanced MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13.
