The Ford LCF, for Low Cab Forward, was a medium-duty cab-over truck marketed by Ford from 2006 to 2009. It was the first cab-over Ford had sold since the rights to the Cargo design went to Freightliner in 1996, and it remains the last cab-over Ford sold in North America.
Ford LCF at a glance
| Maker | Blue Diamond joint venture, General Escobedo, Mexico |
|---|---|
| Production | 2006–2009 |
| Class | 4 and 5 |
| Layout | low cab forward (COE) |
| Chassis | Ford F-450/F-550 Super Duty |
| Cab | Mazda Titan, Japanese market |
| Engine | 4.5-litre V6 version of the 6.0 PowerStroke |
| Gearbox | five-speed TorqShift 5R110W |
| Twin model | International CF, renamed CityStar in 2008 |
| Main rival | Isuzu NPR |
| Also built | alongside the F-650/F-750 and International DuraStar |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford LCF
A joint venture with Navistar
The LCF was produced in a joint venture with Navistar International known as Blue Diamond, a name that combined Ford’s Blue Oval and Navistar’s Diamond. It was also sold by Navistar as the International CF, renamed CityStar in 2008, and it was the first and only design to come out of the venture. The trucks were assembled in General Escobedo, Mexico, alongside the Ford F-650/F-750 Super Duty and the International DuraStar. The LCF competed in the Class 4 and 5 market dominated by the Isuzu NPR and its Chevrolet and GMC variants, and it was sold in various wheelbases as dump trucks, fire trucks, tow trucks, box trucks, crane and bucket trucks, flatbeds and stake bodies.
What was underneath
The LCF took its chassis from the Ford F-450 and F-550 Super Duty trucks and its cab from the Japanese-market Mazda Titan introduced in 2000. Both the Ford and International versions used a single powertrain: a 4.5-litre V6 version of the 6.0-litre PowerStroke, known at International as the VT275, exclusive to these two trucks and mated to the five-speed TorqShift 5R110W transmission shared with the Super Duty pickups. Standard equipment was basic, with manual windows, steel wheels and a painted grille, while power windows, a chrome grille, bumper and wheels cost extra. The LCF’s grille was styled like the Super Duty trucks, but differed from the International version, which had vertical bars.
Slow sales and the end
Sales of the LCF and CityStar were slow and both companies dropped the model after 2009. The LCF is still the last cab-over vehicle of any size that Ford has marketed in North America. International returned to the Class 5 market for 2010 with the conventional-cab TerraStar.
Design and features
- Low cab forward: Ford’s last North American cab-over truck.
- Mixed parentage: Super Duty chassis and a Mazda Titan cab.
- One powertrain: a 4.5-litre V6 PowerStroke and five-speed automatic.
- Blue Diamond: built with Navistar, which sold it as the International CF and CityStar.
Ford LCF versions
- Ford LCF (2006–2009): the Ford-badged version with its own grille.
- International CF: the Navistar twin.
- International CityStar (2008–2009): the renamed International version.
- Body conversions: dump, fire, tow, box, crane, flatbed and stake bodies.
The LCF was Ford’s medium-duty cab-over after the C series and below the L series heavy trucks. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford LCF, English Wikipedia: joint venture, chassis, cab, powertrain, end
