By Christopher A. Sawyer
The Virtual Driver

Though few people remember Tony Howarth and the Africar, a structural plywood off-roader designed to be built and sold in Africa, that program continues to inspire. The Global Vehicle Trust (GVT) has picked up the idea, and sponsored the creation of a cost-effective light truck made up of mostly interchangeable panels.

Designed and built in the UK, it  — like furniture from Ikea — is placed in a flat pack and shipped to its final destination. Once there, it takes three people 11.5 hours to unpack and assemble the vehicle. Because it is packed within its own footprint, there is no need for pallets or individual boxes of parts, which cuts down on shipping costs.



The trust claims that six of the OX vehicles, including engines and transmissions, can fit into a 40-foot high-cube container. Plus, because assembly costs are transferred to the destination country, the final cost is lower than it would be if the vehicle was imported in completed form.

GVT claims the OX can drive through 75 cm (29.5 inches) of water, and has a wide track more suited to the wide, deep ruts that pass for roads in rural Africa. A high ground clearance, short front and rear overhangs and four-wheel independent suspension help ensure that the OX doesn’t get stuck. It also has a central driving position like a McLaren F1 to eliminate the need for right- and left-hand drive versions.

The OX earns its name when it comes to weight and payload. Weighing just over 3,300 pounds, it can carry nearly 4,500 pounds of cargo. That means it can carry up to 13 people, eight 44 gallon drums or three Euro-spec pallets in its bed area with ease. With 73 percent of the OX’s unladen weight on the front wheels, the front-drive 2.2-liter diesel powertrain doesn’t want for traction. Even when fully loaded, 53 percent of the weight is over the front axle.

Sir Torquil Norman, founder of the Norman trust, is the power behind the OX project.

“My inspiration for the OX goes back to the ‘Africar’ project of the 1980s. OX became a dream three years ago and is now a realistic ambition with a working prototype that has already completed its initial testing program,” he says. “As part of an aid program, the OX could provide an essential element of infrastructure to enable the local population to raise the community’s standard of living and to assert its independence by gaining control of its transportation needs and costs. The OX could also be an enormous help in transporting medicines, doctors, patients and other materials in emergencies and at times of natural disaster.”

Approximately £1 million has been spent to bring the OX to this stage, with a further £3 million necessary to take the project to production-ready status.

“Our priority now,” says Norman, “is to raise the funding to complete the testing, and take the project to fruition.” He says the hope is that the OX will be purchased by “charities, aid organizations and development program, rather than private individuals.” And while he hopes to see at least one OX in every African village, Norman has received interest in the vehicle from developed countries where it appeals to farmers and estate owners.

Any profits made from selling assembled vehicles in Europe will be put back into the program to fund future developments of the OX.

The Virtual Driver