According to the watermark, this is an actual promotional shot of the Supercargo. With it being only a concept, and an odd one at that, few photos exist
Way up there seeing past traffic, seeing way out into the field, facing mainly rearward visibility issues, and limited only by close-range vehicles upfront that are blocked by the height of the hood. Over the years, I’ve driven a lot of blind vehicles. Big pillars on the newer car, small back window and small side mirror on the older pickup, opera windows, tint, and a rear window in one case with such a dramatic curve such that looking through it was like wearing someone else’s glasses. Big trucks with that big flat glass, that’s the ticket. The only problem is the aerodynamic drag. Being that big means that it’s going to take that much more fuel and power to push it through the wind and down the road. Don’t get me wrong, towing is going to take fuel regardless, but fighting the wind while towing is a double-whammy in terms of efficiency. Big trucks have been that way forever, as they kind of have to be to do what they have to do. They have to be comfortable, somewhat easy to work on, and many have to have accommodations built into the back. What if they just had to haul stuff, around a specific area, without the need to sleep inside? What if they maybe didn’t have to be easy to work on, because they’re made in Europe, and they can really complicate simple vehicles if they want to? If all of a sudden big trucks don’t have to be big, they should turn a full one-eighty, and be sporty and aerodynamic. Manfred Steinwinter thought so and tried to make it happen.
In 1983, Steinwinter created a cargo-hauling truck that looked like a supercar, appropriately naming it the Supercargo. Powered by a Daimler-Benz OM442 LA fourteen litre V8 truck engine and backed by a ZF sixteen-speed transmission, the Supercargo had the powertrain to handle the task. The cockpit was located ahead of the front wheels, meaning the overall height of the vehicle didn’t need to be much more than the height of the top of the engine. Inside, it’s all 1980’s exotic supercar, with that yellow-brown leather, big dash, big console, and even Recaro bucket seats. The only problem with the aerodynamics, is they go away as soon as any cargo is hooked on. What it may have lacked in loaded streamlining, it more than made up for in versatility. The Supercargo could hook onto a trailer like any truck, but there was also a custom tour bus trailer designed for it. The craziest load I saw was a shipping container sat right on top of the Supercargo, loaded like a pallet on a pallet jack. Unfortunately, the Supercargo never left the concept stage, as it was incredibly hard to see out of, not overly reliable, hard to work on, and didn’t drive well. Also, Mercedes would supply a powertrain, but not any financial backing for the project. If it did take off in 1983, I have to wonder what big trucks would look like today?
Have a question or comment for Kelly? Post it at lmtimes.ca/kirk
