Ford LCF


The Ford LCF is a medium-duty cab-over truck that was marketed by Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2009. Produced in a joint venture with Navistar International, the LCF were manufactured in the same facility in General Escobedo, Mexico that produced the Ford F-650/750 Super Duty conventionals. The cab used came from the Mazda Titan.
The first cab-over vehicle sold by Ford since the sale of the US rights to the Ford Cargo design to Freightliner in 1996, they competed primarily against the Isuzu NPR and its rebadged Chevrolet/GMC variants. Sold in various wheelbases, it has been used in various configurations, including dump trucks, fire trucks, tow trucks, box trucks, crane/bucket trucks, flat beds and stake bodies.

Design

Chassis

The chassis was mostly based on existing F-Series architecture. The cab was derived from the Japanese Mazda Titan introduced in 2000. Standard features included manual windows and steel wheels and a painted grille; for an extra cost, power windows could be added alongside a chrome grille, bumper, and wheels. Styled similar to the Super Duty trucks, the grille of the LCF differed from its International counterpart, which featured vertical bars.

Powertrain

The LCF and CF were fitted with a single powertrain: a 4.5-litre V6 version of the 6-litre PowerStroke/VT365. While the engine itself was exclusive to the two trucks, it was mated to the five-speed Torqshift transmission shared with the Super Duty pickup line.

Reception

It was widely criticized for its noisy engine, fuel consumption, lack of head and foot room, and a dealer network that was uneducated on the product. The trucks many times sat, unsold, for several years. Production came to an end in 2009 along with the Ford-Navistar relationship, and Ford divested itself of Blue Diamond.