The Saviem SM was a range of medium trucks introduced at the end of 1967 as part of Saviem’s partnership with MAN. It combined a new 812 cabin with MAN-licensed direct-injection diesels and spanned gross weights from 8.7 to 12.3 tonnes.
Saviem SM at a glance
| Maker | Saviem |
|---|---|
| Production | 1967–1975 for civilian trucks; military versions later |
| Models | SM5 8.7 t; SM6 9 t; SM7 10.95 t; SM8 12.3 t gross weight |
| Cab | type 812, derived from the SG range |
| Engines | 597 5.27 l, 135 PS; 797 5.49 l, 145 PS; 798 turbo, 170 PS; the SM5 used the 712-01 |
| Gearbox | five-speed, four synchronised, type 301 |
| Suspension | leaf springs on both axles |
| Brakes | hydraulic/air on the SM6; compressed air on the SM7 and SM8 |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive; permanent four-wheel drive on the SM8 4×4 |
| Partnership | Saviem-MAN, from the end of 1967 |
There is no French or German article on the complete SM range; this page is based on the English Wikipedia article.
History of the Saviem SM
Saviem-MAN
At the end of 1967 Saviem introduced the SM ranges, named after the partnership with the German maker MAN. They consisted of the SM medium trucks with the 812 cab, derived from the cabin of the SG range (Super Galion and Super Goélette), and the heavier SM Europe range with the Europe/Espace cab. The commercial SM was discontinued in 1975, but military versions were built after that year.
Models and engines
The range comprised the SM5 at 8.7 tonnes gross weight, the SM6 at 9 tonnes, the SM7 at 10.95 tonnes and the SM8 at 12.3 tonnes. All except the SM5 used the 597 engine built at Saviem’s Limoges plant and its evolutions, the 797 and 798. The 597 appeared in 1967 and was also used in MAN’s medium trucks: a 5.27-litre naturally aspirated straight-six diesel with MAN-licensed direct injection, giving 135 PS at 2,900 rpm and 392 N m at 1,600 rpm, fitted to the SM6 and to some military vehicles from 1970. From 1970 the SM used the 797 (also called 597-05), a 5.49-litre six of 145 PS at 2,900 rpm and 402 N m at 1,700 rpm, in the SM7 and SM8; the turbocharged 798 of 170 PS was reserved for some SM8 4×4 versions. The SM5 used a development of the 712-01 from the SG range.
Chassis and transmission
Drive went to the rear through a single shaft on the shorter chassis and a two-piece shaft on the longer ones. The clutch was a manually operated single-plate Verto Division Ferodo 12 LF 39, except on the SM8 4×4, and the gearbox a horizontally mounted five-speed unit with four synchronised gears, coded 301. Suspension was by leaf springs on both axles. Brakes were hydraulic/air on the SM6 and compressed air on the SM7 and SM8. The SM8 also came as a permanent four-wheel-drive truck for military and off-road use, with a locking centre differential in the transfer case and a rear axle lock; built from 1977 to 1989, it became the Renault SM8 4×4 in 1980 and the Renault TRM 4000 in 1986.
Design and features
- MAN engines: the 597, 797 and 798 straight-six diesels with MAN-licensed direct injection.
- 812 cab: the tilting cabin derived from the SG light trucks.
- Five-speed gearbox: a horizontally mounted type 301 with four synchronised gears.
- Four-wheel drive: the SM8 4×4, later sold as the Renault TRM 4000.
Saviem SM versions
- SM5: 8.7 tonnes, with a development of the SG range’s 712-01 engine.
- SM6: 9 tonnes, with the 597 engine and hydraulic/air brakes.
- SM7: 10.95 tonnes, with the 797 engine.
- SM8: 12.3 tonnes, with the 797 engine and a range of wheelbases.
- SM8 4×4: permanent four-wheel drive for military and off-road use.
The SM sat above the light SG4 and SG5, and its four-wheel-drive SM8 developed into the Saviem TRM 4000. More vehicles are in the Saviem collection.
Sources
- Saviem SM, English Wikipedia: history, models, engines, transmission, brakes
