HTQ stands for High Technology and Quality, the name DINA gave to its class 5 to 8 truck and chassis range at the end of the 1990s. It was a major programme for the company, developed with outside engineering partners and later reused as the technical basis for its passenger buses.
DINA HTQ at a glance
| Maker | DINA (Diesel Nacional), Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo |
|---|---|
| Name | High Technology and Quality |
| Classes | 5, 6, 7 and 8 |
| Development partners | Design Works (BMW), MCI and Roush Industries |
| Investment | almost US$100 million |
| Truck models | 55117572, 66121072, 77631072, 9400 and 65019570 |
| Argentine models | D1416, D1721 and D1725 (from 1999) |
| Argentine plant | Mercedes, Buenos Aires, from 1997 |
| Later bus use | technology basis for the 2008 urban range |
The HTQ series has no article of its own; it is described in the English and Spanish Wikipedia articles on DINA, and this page is based on that company history (one source).
History of the DINA HTQ
HTQ was born at the Sahagún plant in 1997, when DINA built new trucks and buses on its own designs. In the truck segment the company developed the HTQ series with models 55117572, 66121072, 77631072, 9400 and 65019570. The programme was a joint effort: Design Works, a subsidiary of BMW, worked on it together with MCI and Roush Industries of the United States, and the investment came to almost 100 million dollars.
The range was meant for more than Mexico. DINA had opened a truck and bus assembly plant in Mercedes, Argentina, in 1997, and in April 1999 its subsidiary there began producing and selling the HTQ chassis and trucks D1416, D1721 and D1725. The plan to sell HTQ trucks in North America, however, ran into trouble: in 2000 Western Star Trucks was acquired by Freightliner, which cancelled the contract. Only 700 units were built for North America instead of the 9,000 agreed.
The consequences were severe. Workers went on strike in October 2000 and stayed out until March 2001, and DINA filed a claim for breach of contract with the International Chamber of Commerce for 110 million dollars. In 2001 the company announced staff cuts. Despite that, HTQ engineering survived: in 2004 DINA began designing new passenger vehicles on HTQ technology and on national and international standards, and the urban buses of the 2008 relaunch, including the Linner, were built on that foundation.
Design and features
- High Technology and Quality: the name of the programme, covering chassis and trucks of classes 5 to 8.
- International engineering: Design Works of BMW, MCI and Roush Industries took part in its development.
- Two continents: the range was assembled in Mexico and, from 1999, in Argentina as the D1416, D1721 and D1725.
- Second life in buses: HTQ technology was the basis for DINA’s passenger vehicles from 2004 onwards.
DINA HTQ versions
- HTQ trucks in Mexico: models 55117572, 66121072, 77631072, 9400 and 65019570.
- D1416: the Argentine-built HTQ chassis and truck.
- D1721 and D1725: the larger Argentine HTQ models.
- HTQ buses: the Runner, Linner, Picker and Outsider urban models that used the same technology.
The buses built on HTQ technology are described in the DINA Linner article, and the earlier coaches are in the DINA F12 article. More vehicles are in the DINA collection.
Sources
- DINA S.A., English Wikipedia: HTQ models, partners, Western Star dispute
- Diesel Nacional, Spanish Wikipedia: Argentine plant, model codes, bus derivatives
