Today it would be hard to imagine a truck model having a life of just seven years, but that is exactly what happened to the Volvo F7. But while the F7 had a short shelf life, its research and development was not a drain on Volvo’s resources as it was actually more a case of lashing together various bits and pieces to make a truck to fill a gap.
First up, the engine and driveline was essentially already in use in the venerable F86/87 design and had also appeared in the N7 bonneted range in 1973.
The cab - so often the biggest drain of resources in truck development - was also already available to Volvo - it had been a shared effort; it was the famous Club of Four cab designed partly by Volvo in conjunction with DAF, Saviem and Magirus Deutz.
