The Volvo Viking was a truck built from 1953 to 1973. The L385 of 1953 could carry up to eight tonnes in its heaviest trailing-axle form, and it was closely related to the larger Volvo Titan.
Volvo Viking at a glance
| Production | 1953–1973 |
|---|---|
| First model | L385 Viking, 1953 |
| Payload | up to 8 tonnes in the heaviest trailing-axle versions |
| Engines | VDC from the L245, then the D67 |
| Refined model | L485 Viking, 1959, with a stronger chassis |
| Turbodiesel | available from 1961 |
| Forward control | L4851 Viking Tiptop, 1964, with a tilting cab |
| Successor | F86 in summer 1965, then N86 |
| Production continued | as the N86 until 1973 |
History of the Volvo Viking
Volvo introduced the L385 Viking in 1953 with a payload capacity of up to eight tonnes for the heaviest trailing-axle versions. It was very similar to the larger Titan model. For the first model years it used the VDC engine from its predecessor, the L245, but that was soon replaced by the updated D67.
In 1959 came the refined L485 Viking with a stronger chassis, and from 1961 the truck was available with a turbodiesel. In 1964 Volvo introduced the forward-control L4851 Viking Tiptop with a tilting cab, though this model lasted only a short time: it was replaced by the F86 in the summer of 1965, a truck similar in appearance but almost entirely new underneath.
System 8
When Volvo introduced its System 8 in 1965 the Viking’s name changed to N86. Beneath the familiar cab Volvo made extensive changes: a new engine, a fully synchronised eight-speed gearbox and a general updating of most components. The N86 continued in production until 1973, and the Viking name passed into history as the last of Volvo’s conventional-cab medium trucks before the cab-over generation took over.
Design and features
- Eight-tonne payload: a serious working truck of the 1950s.
- D67 engine: the updated unit that replaced the older VDC.
- Turbodiesel from 1961: an early application of turbocharging for Volvo trucks.
- Viking Tiptop: a short-lived forward-control version with a tilting cab.
- System 8: the N86 of 1965 with a new engine and eight-speed gearbox.
Volvo Viking versions
- L385 Viking (1953): the original conventional-cab truck.
- L485 Viking (1959): stronger chassis and refined details.
- L4851 Viking Tiptop (1964): forward control with a tilting cab.
- N86 (1965): the System 8 version, built until 1973.
The Viking sat below the Volvo Titan and was replaced by the Volvo F85 and F86. More trucks are in the Volvo collection.
Sources
- Volvo Viking, English Wikipedia: models, engines, turbodiesel, Tiptop, N86 successor
