The new six-cylinder 230-horsepower diesel UD6 engine led to the development of a large 10.5-ton payload truck.
In 1957, five prototype trucks with a load capacity of over 10 tons, a first in Japan, and traveling at a maximum speed of 90km/hr were developed. This led to the market release of the 6TW in February 1958. The 6TW was a new type of truck featuring two propeller shafts. Splitting the torque of the powerful UD6 engine into two propeller shafts reduced the burden on the driving force transmission mechanism and heightened durability. This made it possible to extend the life of the tires by way of a rear-wheel drive.
Newspaper headlines proclaimed “The Birth of a Groundbreaking Large Truck Befitting the Expressway Era.” After its launch, the 6TW was upgraded to an 11-ton payload and sent to work in tough conditions such as dam construction sites. It proved invaluable in contributing to the development of Japan’s infrastructure and making logistics more sophisticated and was highly noted for its outstanding performance as a long-distance transportation truck running on Japan’s main arterial highways.
In addition, the T80 2 axle rigid truck found solid support in overseas markets with exports extending to Brazil, Spain, the Philippines and other countries, and started contributing to the development of infrastructure and logistics systems around the world.