“This is a partnership I have nurtured since I first started my tenure as Executive Director,” says Museum Executive Director Bev Fitzpatrick. “I am thrilled to see it coming to life before I retire at the end of the year in the form of donations to the museum’s collection and offers of support from Volvo.”
The highway tractor, a Volvo VT 800 daycab, was introduced in the 2006 lineup and was manufactured for about three years at Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley Plant in Dublin, Va., before production ceased on that model. It will be on static display at the museum but will also be available for the museum’s use as a tractor, Volvo says.
The first cab cutaway is the Volvo VNL 780 and the second is a Volvo VNL 670. Both cutaways were on display at the Dublin plant and served as visual proof of product to clients and employees at the facility. Now, Volvo says the cutaways will serve as more visual examples of transportation in Virginia. As an exhibit, museum visitors will be able to climb into the cab to experience just what it’s like in a big rig.
“Our 42-year history of building premier trucks in the Commonwealth of Virginia has led to where we are today including investments in the plant, hiring of more employees and a ramp up of production,” says Volvo Group Trucks Operations vice president and general manager Franky Marchand. “We think there is no better time than now to honor our employees’ dedication and the rich tradition we’ve build here by partnering with the Virginia Museum of Transportation.”
Volvo says the fully functioning truck arrived Thursday morning, and the cab cutaways will arrive the first of the year.
