The Unic Vercors was a heavy truck range of the period when Unic, already part of Fiat, replaced its own cabs with Fiat designs. It was introduced in 1970 as the T10A-200R and continued under Iveco ownership in the 11 A, 12 A and 13 A-200 forms.
Unic Vercors at a glance
| Maker | Unic, part of Fiat V.I. from 1966 and of Iveco from 1975 |
|---|---|
| First model | Vercors T10A-200R, listed in 1970 |
| Cab | Fiat type H, adopted for all new Unic models in 1970 |
| Later range | Vercors 11 A-160, 11 A-200, 12 A-200 and 13 A-200, listed in 1975 |
| Badging | Fiat-Unic logo on the grille from 1973 |
| Related range | Unic Izoard heavy trucks |
| End of Unic trucks | brand disappeared in 1984; French truck production ended in 1985 |
No dedicated article on the Vercors exists; the model is known from entries in the French list of Unic vehicles, and this page is based on those entries and the company history.
History of the Unic Vercors
Unic was integrated into Fiat V.I. in 1966. Until 1970 it kept its own bonneted cabs, but in that year all new models received Fiat type H forward-control cabs; the old Unic cabs were finally abandoned in 1973, when the grilles were given a new Fiat-Unic logo and the models became Italian Fiat and OM trucks rebadged for France. The Vercors was part of that change: the list of Unic vehicles records the Vercors T10A-200R from 1970, the same year in which the Izoard T 340 A V8 appeared.
In 1973 the range was fully rebadged, and with the creation of Iveco in 1975 Unic no longer built trucks of its own design, only rebadged Fiat commercial vehicles. The 1975 list gives the Vercors as the 11 A-160, 11 A-200, 12 A-200 and 13 A-200, suggesting a family of models in different weight and power classes. The same list includes the Izoard 200 A2, 220 A, 270 A2 and 340 A alongside the Vercors, so the two names covered parallel heavy ranges rather than one replacing the other.
The end came quickly. The Unic marque disappeared in 1984, after the Trappes plant, which had built Unic-specific vehicles and Fiat models for France since 1975, failed to win a French Army contract because the army did not want Fiat engines made abroad. In 1985 truck manufacture in France stopped, and the Bourbon-Lancy works was reduced to building Fiat engines. Surviving Vercors trucks, such as the Vercors 200 photographed on the road today, are among the last vehicles to carry the Unic name on a Fiat-era cab.
Design and features
- Fiat type H cab: the forward-control cab introduced across the Unic range in 1970.
- Heavy range: listed in 160, 200 and heavier versions, with model numbers from 11 A to 13 A.
- Fiat-era badge: from 1973 the trucks wore a Fiat-Unic grille logo and were rebadged Fiat or OM models.
- Short final chapter: built during the last years of the Unic marque, which ended in 1984.
Unic Vercors versions
- Vercors T10A-200R: the first model, listed in 1970.
- Vercors 11 A-160: 160 hp version of the 11 A.
- Vercors 11 A-200: 200 hp version of the same class.
- Vercors 12 A-200: heavier 200 hp model.
- Vercors 13 A-200: largest of the 1975 range.
The Vercors shared its Fiat type H cab with the Izoard heavy trucks, and it belongs to the same final period as the 75 PC and the Unic Daily; the whole history is in the Unic collection.
Sources
- Liste des véhicules Unic, French Wikipedia: Vercors models, dates, cab policy, end of production
- Unic (entreprise), French Wikipedia: Fiat integration, Iveco, end of the marque
- Unic, English Wikipedia: company background
