Attendees at this week’s Australian Festival of Transport in Alice Springs will be the first to see the display of the last locally manufactured Euro 5 ACCO at the National Road Transport Museum.
The iconic truck arrived at the museum just in time for the celebrations from August 24-27, courtesy of one of PrixCar Services’ stunning new S-Way AS 550 prime movers and drop deck trailer.
The donated 6×4 ACCO cab chassis, which is finished in bright red paintwork, was produced in November 2019 and has been in storage ever since.
It’s the last example of the fully built local model before being superseded in 2020 by a new ACCO version based on a global platform from Europe.
Iveco ANZ managing director Michael May said that the National Road Transport Museum was a fitting home for the final Euro 5 ACCO produced.
“In the late 1960s through to the early 2000s, the ACCO played a massive role in Australia and New Zealand, being the truck of choice for a great many applications including general freight, linehaul, emergency service work and vocational duties including waste collection and agitator work,” May said.
“In more recent years ACCO’s primary focus was the refuse industry where it continues to be a favourite among operators for its extreme reliability and low total cost of ownership benefits, in what is arguably one of the most demanding truck applications there is.
“At the end of 2019, Iveco celebrated the delivery of the 90,000th ACCO, a testament to the overall success of the model, so the truck’s inclusion within the National Road Transport Museum is deserved and well earned.”
While it may mark the end of an era, May said he’s looking forward to what the future holds with the imminent release of all-new ACCO.
In accepting the donation, Road Transport Historical Society CEO Nick Prus cited the contribution that ACCO has made to the Australian road transport landscape over many years.
“We’re very very happy and grateful that Iveco considered us for this donation,” Prus said.
“As an exhibit, the last locally manufactured Euro 5 ACCO aligns very well with the goals of the museum: to preserve the heritage of the local road transport industry. The ACCO will be on permanent displace in the ‘Trucks in Action’ venue, which showcases the diversity of vehicles that were built in Australia.”
While this generation ACCO has been consigned to history, the latest all-new iteration of the model will be available in Australia in the coming months, with Iveco already taking “significant multivehicle orders” for the truck from several national fleet operators within the refuse sector.
Advancements include the latest active and passive safety features, powerful yet efficient engines that meet stringent Euro 6 (Step E) emission standards, and enhanced cabins that are more comfortable and fatigue-reducing.
A further benefit of the new ACCO is the availability of a locally designed and engineered dual control system that was designed specifically for the model, Iveco said.