Pete retires 379, adds 220, shows engines

Nov. 1, 2006
HAILED for its ground-breaking styling and legendary performance, Peterbilt's Model 379 is nearing the end of a 20-year run. The final 1,000 units will be outfitted as a special Legacy Class Edition

HAILED for its ground-breaking styling and legendary performance, Peterbilt's Model 379 is nearing the end of a 20-year run. The final 1,000 units will be outfitted as a special Legacy Class Edition, Peterbilt Motors Company announced during the Great American Truck Show August 24-26 in Dallas, Texas.

The Legacy Class Edition is limited to the extended-hood, 127-inch BBC configuration. It can be ordered as a day cab or with the full range of Unibilt sleepers. It is available for order now from Peterbilt dealerships and can be configured to customer specifications regarding drivetrain, axles, suspensions, and other components.

New medium cabover

Complementing its lineup of medium-duty trucks, Peterbilt is introducing a new cabover, the Model 220. The new platform is based on the 2002 “International Truck of the Year.”

The new Model 220 will initially be offered in Class 7 truck configurations and will be limited to 100 units. Full production and distribution of the Model 220 is scheduled for late 2007, at which time the manufacturer also will offer a Class 6 configuration.

“The Model 220 is based on the award-winning design of the DAF LF, a European market leader for our sister company DAF Trucks, which introduced the vehicle in 2001,” said Dan Sobic, Peterbilt general manager and PACCAR vice-president. “The introduction of the Model 220 positions us with a premium cabover alternative that raises expectations for reliability, maneuverability, visibility, and operator accessibility.

“As a division of PACCAR, we share in its global resources, and the introduction of the Model 220 is a perfect example,” Sobic said. “The Model 220 will provide an exceptional foundation for Peterbilt to enter the medium-duty cabover market and provide our customers with greater versatility and a wide range of vehicle choices to meet their application needs and business requirements.”

PACCAR engines

Peterbilt has announced a new exclusive power option for its medium-duty Model 330, Model 335, and Model 340 trucks — the PACCAR 6.7-liter PX-6 and the 8.3-liter PX-8 engines. The engines are being built for PACCAR by Cummins Engine Co.

“Peterbilt will offer the new PACCAR engines exclusively for its medium duty models, serving customer drivetrain needs with a solution that is optimized for our products,” Sobic said. “The new PACCAR engines were developed from a proven platform and will meet the full range of horsepower and torque needs for medium-duty markets, as well as provide exceptional reliability and serviceability.”

Both engines will be available from Peterbilt beginning in 2007. The PX-6 will be available in horsepower ratings from 200 to 325 and torque ranging from 520 to 750 ft-lb. The PX-6 will be the standard engine for the Class 6 Model 330 and will also be available for the Class 7 Model 335. The PX-8 is available in horsepower ratings from 240 to 330 and torque ranging from 660 to 1,000 ft-lb. It will be the standard engine for the Model 335 and Model 340.

According to Peterbilt chief engineer Landon Sproull, both engines have an in-line six-cylinder design with four valves per cylinder, a high-pressure common rail fuel system, and a variable geometry turbocharger. The engines are compliant with Environmental Protection Agency emission regulations that take effect with 2007-model-year diesel engines.

Sproull says the PX-6 provides an ideal power-to-weight ratio for customers that operate Class 6 vehicles or weight sensitive Class 7 applications. The PX-8, he says, will satisfy customers with higher torque and power requirements.