The innovative design promises to provide a low-priced, basic all-terrain truck that can be used to help transport water, food and medicine to remote regions in Africa and other parts of the developing world. “It is unlike any other vehicle and has no direct competitor – whether from a concept, performance or pricing point of view”, GVT said in a statement. On a different note, this 4,229 mm x 2,070 mm vehicle can seat up to 13 people, carry eight 44-gallon drums or three Euro-pallets, and it boasts a payload of 1,900 kg (4,188 lbs).
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Called the OX and expected to cost between £10,000 and £15,000, the innovative British vehicle has been created by F1 and supercar designer Prof Gordon Murray in conjunction with entrepreneur, philanthropist and former pilot Sir Torquil Norman.
Gordon Murray, the brain behind McLaren’s famous F1 supercar, has designed a vehicle that is far from a supercar but, in his own words, “ranks above anything else I’ve ever done”.
And just like the McLaren F1, the OX has a three-seat cab layout with the driver centrally positioned – meaning its flawless whether countries drive on the left of the right.
Just over five years ago Sir Torquil, who is the father of Tory MP Jesse Norman, made a decision to pursue his dream of providing cost-effective mobility for people in the developing world.
The Ox is around the same size as a small to medium vehicle, like the Hyundai Elantra, yet can carry 1900kg more than any other dual-cab 4×4 ute, is two-wheel drive only, runs a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel from a Ford Transit and a six-speed gearbox, has a central driving position to get around left- and right-hand drive markets, can carry 13 people in the back or eight 44-gallon drums, and three people in the front. Six of the trucks can be packed in a 40-ft high-cube shipping container, then at the destination, three skilled people can assemble an OX in approximately 12 hours. Give the cost, durability and capacity requirements of the OX design mandate, not to mention the flat-pack design, we can understand why Murray calls it “a fascinating and stimulating journey from concept to prototype”.
Right now the Ox is just a prototype, with the company responsible for bringing it to life, Global Vehicle Trust, on the hunt for investors to make it a production reality.
“OX is about making a difference now, being part of something ground-breaking and unique”.
The detail that first caught my attention about the Global Vehicle Trust OX isn’t its boxy shape, nor the old-school round headlights, small off-road wheels or three-window windshield.
The OX’s revolutionary nature extends beyond the vehicle design because, uniquely, it is capable of being flat-packed within itself, enabling it to be transported more efficiently around the world.
Sir Torquil added: “My dream is to one day see an OX in every village in Africa”.
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A light but strong steel chassis is complemented by a shell of waterproof bonded wood composite. The van will be able to carry up to thirteen people or almost two tons.
