End of the road for ProStar

US truck manufacturer Navistar has announced it will end global production of its ProStar range, with the last examples to roll off the line in December 2020.

And while Navistar says it has replacement models looming, they'll only be produced for left-hand-drive markets, with the company citing the high validation and engineering investments required for right-hand-drive models as prohibitive when viewed against the smaller volumes right-hand drive markets represent.

That spells the end for what was in early 2017 touted as something of a grand homecoming for the International brand, which is sold here by IVECO Trucks Australia.

IVECO Trucks Australia is based at the same Dandenong factory in Melbourne that produced International models for 40 years, until IVECO took the reins in 1992.

The International ProStar made its public debut in Australia at the 2015 Brisbane Truck Show, before going on sale here in the first half of 2017 after the brand's importation rights passed from Navistar Auspac to IVECO Trucks Australia.

Navistar Auspac was handling Cat Trucks Australia at the time, before Caterpillar ended its agreement with Navistar to produce on-highway trucks.

Something of an icon of the Australian trucking scene, International was behind the production of Australia's first locally built truck, which rolled off the line at Dandenong in 1952. The International brand was a common sight on Aussie roads over the decades that followed. After IVECO took control in 1992 it continued to make some International models under licence, while the ubiquitous ACCO vocational truck – which began life as an Inter back in 1967 – continues to this day.

The brand's return in 2017 tapped into a strong sense of nostalgia for the Inters of old, but despite the ProStar's pedigree of proven engine and driveline component suppliers, including Cummins, Eaton, Hendrickson and Meritor, the model failed to gain a solid foothold in the ultra-competitive Australian heavy-duty truck market.

At the height of that market, when new truck sales hit an all-time record in 2018, International sold 61 trucks, while then market leader Kenworth sold 2946.

Related reading:
2019 International ProStar: Review
International: home at last
International: Aussie distribution finalised

IVECO Trucks Australia says it will continue to sell remaining local stock and take orders for the final production run of the ProStar, and remains committed to supporting existing ProStar customers with ongoing servicing and parts support, while honouring all existing warranties.

IVECO Trucks Australia Managing Director, Michael May, said he was saddened to see the International ProStar reach the end of the road.

"We are obviously disappointed that the Australian market will no longer have access to the iconic International truck brand and the ProStar range, which is providing operators with outstanding productivity and performance benefits," he said.

"From a business perspective, however, we recognise the substantial investment required for right-hand drive markets which does not prove to be viable for Navistar.

"The priority now, for IVECO Trucks Australia, is to continue to provide operators with a level of on-going support that ensures ownership of an International ProStar remains productive, cost-effective and hassle-free."

The looming departure of the International ProStar leaves IVECO Trucks Australia without a conventional bonneted truck option, following the disappearance of the IVECO PowerStar from volume production last year. At the heavy-duty end of the spectrum then, IVECO's focus now rests with the Stralis and X-Way cab-over models.