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International Trucks returning to Iveco Australias showrooms

CNH Industrial and Navistar have sealed the deal which will see Iveco Australia become the Australian distributor of International Trucks.

 

A joint announcement made on October 11 by CNH Industrial and Navistar executives has confirmed the appointment of Iveco Australia’s parent company, CNH Industrial, as the sole distributor of International Trucks in the Australian market.

The announcement ends months of speculation as to the framework under which International would return to Australia, after initial plans were outlined by Navistar at the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show.

According to both organisations, operational aspects of the arrangement are still being finalised by both parties who are evaluating several models, such as the ProStar, in an effort to ensure that the International brand is strongly promoted and supported from the outset.

The return of International to Australia and its tie-in with Iveco and its Dandenong facility in Melbourne marks a homecoming to the location where thousands of International commercial vehicles were manufactured and or assembled since 1952.

Navistar says the DNA still runs deep today with the current Iveco ACCO range sharing its lineage with earlier ACCOs developed under International.

Navistar senior vice president – distribution and export, Mark Belisle, says the company had taken extensive due diligence in evaluating and pursuing the best course of action for the return of International Trucks to Australia.

“Despite not having sold here for a number of years, ‘Inter’ is still entrenched in the Australian market and remembered fondly by fleet operators.

“This enthusiasm for the marque was also highlighted at the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show with both the ProStar and LoneStar display trucks capturing show-goers’ imaginations,” Belisle says.

“The close history between CNH Industrial’s Iveco brand and International is not lost on us either. It adds an element of emotion to the partnership.

“We look forward to the months ahead and bringing some exciting new International vehicles to market,” Belisle says.

CNH Industrial executive managing director for Australia and New Zealand, Ray Osgood, says he was extremely pleased to have established a partnership with Navistar for the distribution rights.

“International had a long and successful history in Australia and dominated the commercial vehicle market for several decades,” Osgood says.

“There remains a lot of passion for the brand here today, and it still has a lot of equity in this market.

“Our operational experience with Iveco and the obvious synergies and history between the two brands will provide notable efficiencies as the International range is introduced in the months ahead.

“Furthermore, we see the arrangement to be mutually beneficial in that the International product range primarily consisting of conventional cabs, will complement Iveco’s strengths in cab-over truck models,” Osgood says.

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