1995 Volvo FH12

In late 1993 Volvo had unveiled its replacement for the legendary F cabover series in production for almost 25 years. The development of FH in what it appeared to be a clean sheet of paper design took seven long years. The development of all new design 12 litre engine with its overhead camshaft and electronic unit injectors technology took Volvo among the world's leading engine design ranks.

There were two models, FH12 and FH16 which shared common cabs and chassis and the FH12 immediately won "Truck of the year" award in 1994. The 16 litre engine, gearboxes and the driveline were carried over from previous generation albeit with many improvements and the host of additional features including all new Volvo engine management and its diagnostics for the D12A engine.

Design and Technology

Cab

The cab produced at Umeå from hot dip galvanized, high tensile steel allowed for greater strength at thinner panels and box sections while reducing overall weight. The new FH cab was a logical progression from , for its days spacious but boxy F series cab to more aerodynamically efficient, with much improved ergononics and much better seating unit while reducing overall weight of the cab by almost 30%. The cabin was exccesively tested in wind tunel facility to confirm shape aerodynamics properties to reduce air-drag thus improving fuel efficiency. The cab featured more sharply raked windscreen while wedge shaped sides rounded into front panel at much wider radius corners and the rear vison mirrors were also streamlined.The cabin was subject to the toughest cab impact test where procedure involved placing a 15 tonne static weight on the roof and one tonne pendulum striking at the cab rear wall and at the windscreen pillars , at the end of which the cab doors must be able to be opened. In 1995 Volvo FH series became first heavy duty truck to be fitted with a SRS airbag to further improve passive safety.