Since its introduction in 1961, the ACCO (or AACO as it was known then, when manufactured on the A Line rather than today’s C line) has become a long-time favourite of the Australian and New Zealand trucking industries, being used in all manner of applications from light rigid to prime mover work and everything in between.

Initially developed from the International Mark 3 general service 4x4 vehicle and adapted for civilian use, the ACCO’s simple design and tough underpinnings saw widespread acceptance of the model which continues today. 

The current shape ACCO was introduced in 1972 and was further developed on that platform culminating with the introduction of the Euro 5 2014 model year variants. Ever increasing emission and safety requirements meant that with the major changes introduced by 2014, the current model had reached its full development potential. 

Amazingly, over its lifetime, the ACCO has undergone over 4,300 specification changes.

The celebratory event was attended by IVECO Australia staff and key component suppliers to the ACCO range over the years who received commemorative plaques; recipients included Alcoa Wheels, Cummins South Pacific, Dana Australia, Goodyear & Dunlop Tyres, Heavy Automatics, Hendrickson Asia Pacific, Hilton Manufacturing and Meritor HVS.  

Addressing attendees were IVECO Australia and New Zealand Managing Director, Bruce Healy, and IVECO Brand Ambassador Lloyd Reeman who has been involved with the ACCO model since the 1970s. Both spoke of the ACCO’s proud heritage and also advised that the last unit built will be retained by IVECO for posterity and for display at future events.

Both gentlemen also touched on the benefits of the new generation Euro 6 ACCO range, which will build on its predecessor’s reliability and durability benefits while introducing many new state-of-the-art features.

Scheduled to begin production in the first quarter of 2020, the new Euro 6 ACCO will continue to be manufactured in Australia having been developed specifically for Australia and New Zealand markets, to ensure it is fit for task.  

The new models have undergone an extensive local development program, with several evaluation vehicles currently in year-long trials with key refuse customers, where they have performed exceptionally well according to feedback and performance benchmarking.

Initial models to be released are aimed at the vocational market, specifically for compactor and hook-lift bin applications which were a mainstay of the previous generation ACCO. 

The new range introduces powerful, yet cleaner and more efficient Euro 6 engines coupled to the proven Allison full automatic transmissions. On the safety front, vehicles will feature a raft of standard technology including Adaptive Cruise Control, Advanced Emergency Braking System, Electronic Braking System with Brake Assistance, Electronic Stability Program and Daytime Running Lamps.  

Operators wanting even more safety can select from options such as Hydraulic Retarder, Lane Departure Warning System, Driver Attention Support, a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and Xenon Headlamps.

The new ACCO also promises to further reduce its predecessor’s already impressive low total cost of ownership benefits, particularly in the area of fuel use. And, on selected Euro 6 configurations, the payload mass remains in the same region as the outgoing Euro 5 model – well within the industry benchmark of 10 tonnes.  

We look forward to sharing further details of the new Euro 6 ACCO range early in 2020.