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Utilimaster,a subsidiary ofThe Shyft Group,manufacturesmulti-stop trucks.It was founded in 1973 inWakarusa, Indiana.[1]
| Founded | 1973 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Products | Multi-stop trucks |
| Parent | The Shyft Group |
| Website | utilimaster |
In 1996, Utilimaster was bought for $65 million fromHarley-Davidsonby senior management and an investment group which was led by Kirkland Messina. It had been owned byHoliday Ramblerbefore Harley-Davidson. On November 19, 2009, Spartan Motors (now The Shyft Group) acquired Utilimaster for $45 million in an all-cash transaction.[1]Spartan sold the Road Rescue division toAllied Specialty Vehiclesin 2010.[2]
Utilimaster bought Union City Body Company, a competitor fromUnion City, Indiana,for an undisclosed amount on November 16, 2005. Union City Body bought theGeneral Motorschassis and commercial truck business in 1998.[3]
Products
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In the 1980s and 1990s, the company manufactured the aerodynamicAeromateon an in-house, front-wheel drive chassis. The original model was introduced in August 1988 and usedChrysler's2.5-literinline-four engineknown from theK-car.[4]Later models used either theturbochargedversion of Chrysler's 2.5-litre four cylinder engine or their3.3-litre V6 engine;the V6 was introduced for the 1991 model year.[5]With a 5,500-pound (2,495 kg)GVWRthe vehicle's payload was 2,050 lb (930 kg) with either engine fitted.[5]
In mid-1990, Utilimaster introduced the largerAeromaster Z2000for the 1991 model year. The aerodynamic walk-in van was also built on a proprietary front-wheel drive chassis, and came in GVWRs ranging from 10,000 to 12,500 lb (4,540 to 5,670 kg).[6]The engine options were aFordgasoline V8 or aCummins' 4BTfour-cylinder diesel.[6]
In 2011,Isuzuand Utilimaster announced plans for Utilimaster to assemble theIsuzu Reachin itsWakarusa, Indiana,plant. It is a commercialstep vanwith improved aerodynamics and a more fuel-efficient engine than other walk-in vans in the class.[7]On February 14, 2012, Utilimaster announced that it would move from Wakarusa toBristol, Indiana,17 miles away.
In 2012, Utilimaster andSmithco-developed an integrated walk-in van design using Smith's Newton chassis platform. The Newton Step Van was available in configurations of 14,000 to 26,000 lbs. GVW and 650 to 1,200 cubic feet and provided a range of approximately 100 miles on a single charge. In 2015, Utilimaster introduced the first walk-in cargo van, which they named Velocity. The van was developed on the Ford Transit chassis, available in gas, diesel, or CNG/LPG configurations.
In 2020, at the NTEA's Work Truck Show, Utilimaster announced the Velocity M3, a walk-in cargo van built on theMercedesSprinter chassis.[8]In 2020, Utilimaster announced the Velocity F2, a sub-10,000 lbs. GVWR walk-in cargo van built on theFordTransit chassis.
On 6 March 2023 Utilimaster announced the deployment in 5,860 walk-in vans of its Rapid Driver Cooling System.[9]
References
edit- ^ab"Spartan Motors Announces Agreement to Acquire Utilimaster Corporation".PR Newswire.PR Newswire Association LLC. 2009-11-19. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-10-13.
- ^"Allied Specialty Vehicles, Inc. Announces The Acquisition of Road Rescue".Road Rescue. 2010-09-20. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-07-25.
- ^"GM To Sell Chassis Business".AP News Archive.The Associated Press. 1998-09-04.
- ^"Light Trucks Specs (supplement)".Fleet Owner.Vol. 83, no. 12. FM Business Publications. December 1988. p. LT3.
- ^abSiegel, Stewart (July 1990). "The New Models for 1991: Light Trucks".Fleet Owner.Vol. 85, no. 7. FM Business Publications. p. 62.
- ^abMele, Jim (July 1990). "The New Models for 1991: Mid-Range Trucks".Fleet Owner.Vol. 85, no. 7. FM Business Publications. p. 76.
- ^"Indiana Facility to Produce Isuzu Commercial Vehicles".Inside Indiana Business.2011-03-09. Archived fromthe originalon 2015-02-22.
- ^"Utilimaster Unveils New Velocity M3 Walk-in Cargo Van at the 2020 Work Truck Show".Utilimaster.Retrieved2020-11-03.
- ^"Delivery Drivers to Benefit from In-Vehicle Cooling Systems from Utilimaster®".Yahoo Finance.2024-03-06.Retrieved2024-08-14.