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VME Group NV (Volvo-Michigan-Euclid)
Predecessor Volvo's Earthmoving division
Clark Equipment Company's Construction machinery operations
Founded 1985


The VME Group NV was the company formed by the merger of Volvo of Sweden's Earthmoving division with the Clark Equipment Company's Construction machinery operations of Michigan and Euclid.[1]

Section heading[]

Main article: Volvo Construction Equipment

The VME Group (Volvo-Michigan-Euclid) was a 50-50 Joint venture between Volvo and Clark Equipment Company formed in 1985 after Clark bought the Euclid company from Daimler-Benz in 1984. VME later underwent several rather confusing reorganisations and renaming amongst its American and European operations, culminating in 1991 in the creation of a VME North America unit to handle only the Euclid lines.

Volvo reorganised its construction machinery division under the Volvo Construction Equipment name incorporating the many other construction brands they had acquired, to offer a 'full line' product range to compete in the world market. Most of the brands were dropped in favor of the Volvo brand and colour scheme. Competition and the changing market in the rigid mine hauler market lead to the sale in 1998 of the Rigid Dumptruck division, by Volvo to concentrate on the construction market sector.

Euclid-Hitachi JV[]

Main article: Euclid

In December 1993, VME North America entered into a joint venture of its own with Japan’s Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., called Euclid-Hitachi Heavy Equipment. Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of hydraulic construction machinery like excavators and cranes, gradually increased its stake in the joint venture until by 2000 it owned 100% of the Company.[2] Hitachi bought Euclid to be able to offer a complete mining package, as mining excavators and dump trucks usually are needed in combination with each other. Euclid-Hitachi became Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing on January 1, 2004, and the famous Euclid green was replaced with Hitachi orange. The Euclid trade name and model nomenclature were gradually phased out by the end of the year, ending 80 years of the Euclid name appearing on construction machinery.

VME product range[]

The range incorporated former Volvo BM lines and Euclid models as well as the the AB Kockum Landsverk models till production ceased in 1991.[3]

Please add more details here.

Euclid models[]

  • R25
  • R32
  • R35
  • R36
  • R40
  • R50
  • R60
  • R65
  • R85
  • R90
  • R100
  • R120
  • R130
  • R150
  • R170
  • R190
  • R220
  • R260

Volvo BM / Kockum models[]

  • Volvo BM Kockum 540 - 36 ton (RB version also built)
  • Volvo BM Kockum 555 - 50 ton
  • Volvo BM Kockum 556 - 59 ton
  • Volvo BM 425C - 22.5 ton (replaced the Volvo BM 425B)

See also[]

References / sources[]

  1. History 1982-VME at Volvo.com
  2. Euclid trucks article on wikipeda
  3. Volvo history - rigid haulers

External links[]


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