The Renault AHx was a range of light and medium trucks with payloads from 2 to 5 tonnes, built between 1941 and 1947. Versions of it were used in the Second World War by the German forces, and after the war the trucks were replaced by the Renault Galion.
Renault AHx at a glance
| Maker | Renault, France |
|---|---|
| Production | 1941–1947 |
| Payloads | 2 to 5 tonnes |
| Models | AHS, AHN, AHR |
| AHS engine | 2.38-litre four, 52 metric horsepower |
| AHN and AHR engine | 4.05-litre six, up to 75 bhp |
| German use | about 23,000 AHS, 4,000 AHN and 1,000–2,000 AHR |
| Replaced by | Renault Galion in 1947 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault AHx.
History of the Renault AHx
Rejected at home, ordered abroad
Prototypes of the first AHx truck, the AHS2, were shown by 1939 as a replacement for the similar AGC truck of 1.5 tonnes. It was designed for the French army in the 2.5-tonne class, but the army rejected it. The Wehrmacht then ordered it, reclassifying it as a 2-tonne payload model under the name Lastkraftwagen 2 to. The AHN, with a 4-tonne payload, succeeded the AGR and was built for the Wehrmacht as the Lastkraftwagen 3.5 to, while the heaviest model, the AHR, carried 5 tonnes. The Wehrmacht received about 23,000 AHS, 4,000 AHN and between 1,000 and 2,000 AHR trucks.
Engines and layout
The AHS had a 2.38-litre four-cylinder petrol engine of 52 metric horsepower, while the AHN and AHR used a 4.05-litre six, the AHR with 75 bhp. All three had a four-speed manual gearbox. Both the AHS and the AHN were also built as gasifier versions: the AHSH gave 35 metric horsepower and the AHNH 52, both at 2,800 rpm. The range had a cab-forward layout, a design Renault introduced in 1934 and gradually extended across its truck line; the AHN measured 2.6 m high, 6.4 m long and 2.4 m wide.
After the war
Evolutions of the AHS2 and AHN, the AHS3 and AHS4 with 2 tonnes and the AHN2 and AHN3 with 3.5 tonnes, were produced mainly for the civilian market after the war. In 1947 these trucks were replaced by the Renault Galion. The AHx cabin also formed the basis of a 7-tonne truck, the Renault 208 E1.
Design and features
- Cab-forward design: the 1934 Renault truck layout, giving a short, roomy cab.
- Gasifier versions: AHSH and AHNH models running on wood gas.
- Wartime scale: more than 28,000 AHx trucks delivered to the Wehrmacht.
- 208 E1 derivative: a 7-tonne truck built on the AHx cab.
Renault AHx versions
- AHS: 2-tonne model with a 2.38-litre four.
- AHN: 4-tonne model with a 4.05-litre six.
- AHR: the 5-tonne heavy version.
- AHS3, AHS4, AHN2, AHN3: post-war civilian developments.
- Renault 208 E1: 7-tonne truck using the AHx cabin.
The AHx replaced the earlier Renault AGx trucks and gave way to the Renault Galion; more vehicles are in the Renault collection.
Sources
- Renault AHx, English Wikipedia: models, payloads, engines, wartime production
