Since the establishment of our company in 1935 to present-day UD Trucks. Read the first stories below that shaped us into the modern smart company we are today.
Going the Extra Mile since 1935
Introduction of the popular 6TW truck
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
The new six-cylinder 230-horsepower diesel UD6 engine led to the development of a large 10.5-ton payload truck.
Completion of the first diesel truck
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Along with the production of the ND1 engine, Nihon Diesel Industries pushed ahead with the manufacture of automobile chassis parts toward the creation of the first diesel truck around 1937.
The legendary 3,000km test run
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
The first LD1 diesel truck was completed in November 1939. But it was the test drive shortly after that really got people talking. The majority of Japan’s roads at the time were unpaved and the country was full of narrow roads and bridges that were barely wide enough to fit a horse and cart. The course selected for the test drive was riddled with steep slopes and curves traversing perilous mountain passes. With the entire journey clocking in at a distance of 3,000km, or 1.5 times the length of the Japanese archipelago, it marked an endurance test the likes of which the nation had never seen.
Trucks and buses for a new era
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
After World War II most production had ceased due to damage inflicted during air raids. The company recognized the need for trucks in post-war reconstruction, however, and set about to restart production as quickly as possible.