This week represents an important milestone for Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) with the 50,000th Canter light-duty truck sold in Australia being delivered on Monday morning to theStarTrack depot in Minchinbury NSW.

“Over the years, FUSO like StarTrack has evolved to meet the needs of its customers. One thing that has not changed is the commitment to customer service. We are delighted to receive the 50,000th Canter vehicle,” said Stephen Cleary, StarTrack Chief Executive Officer.

“StarTrack has been purchasing FUSO trucks since the 80s, and the Canter and Fighter models currently make up more than half of our fleet. The Canter offers driver comfort, reliability and fuel efficiency that helps keep our business moving forward,” said Scott Gardiner, StarTrack Manager Multihaul and Fleet Operations.

As well as celebrating the delivery of its 50,000th Canter light-duty truck sold in Australia to StarTrack, one of Australia’s leading road and air freight operators. This Australian milestone follows another important milestone for Canter in 2013, with Canter celebrating its 50th birthday earlier this year.

“For 50 years, the Canter light-duty truck has continually delivered on FUSO’s promise of ALL FOR YOU to our customers. This has made the Canter a big success story. Canter has proven itself over the last 50 years to be a very reliable and capable light-duty truck, not just in its home country of Japan, but around the globe. The Canter has played and continues to play a critical role in ongoing success of MFTBC as a company. In many countries, it is the Canter that customers know us by and on what the strength and reputation of the Fuso brand is based,” said Dr Albert Kirchmann, Head of Daimler Trucks Asia and MFTBC President and CEO.

Kai-Uwe Seidenfuss, MFTBC Senior Vice President of Sales & After Sales, added, “The Canter is a real success story for us, and if you speak with the customers, it is easy to see why. Customers really appreciate the high quality of the product. They are especially happy with the reliability and operability of this truck. Our customers also give high marks for the safety features, serviceability and fuel efficiency built in to the Canter. People trust Canter to help them to run their businesses successfully year in, year out. We design our trucks for business, and we are happy that our customers notice this.”

“In the first half of 2013, Canter has enjoyed a significant lift in market share and we are currently on track to see Canter achieve its highest market share in over 20 years,” said Richard Eyre, General Manager for Fuso trucks and buses in Australia.

“The ongoing support we get from our customers,  and strong share increase in the first half of 2013, is confirmation and a testament to Canter’s ongoing reliability and value for money. In fact, today’s Canter buyer has more choice than ever before and they get more for their money.  Our model range, back up programs and special offers has never been as comprehensive or as strong as they are today.”

50 years of the Canter light-duty truck

The first generation of the Fuso Canter light-duty truck came onto the market in March 1963 in Japan. 50 years and eight generations later, MFTBC is proud to celebrate the truck as a bestseller, with global sales of 3,700,000 units sold since its original market launch in its home market of Japan.

In Australia, Canter enjoys a long tradition where it has been sold for 40 years. Canter cemented its place in Australia as a household name when it was the first Japanese truck company to introduce a wide cab over truck in 1978. The model was launched using the very novel and memorable “not so squeezy” TV commercial, which used Sumo wrestlers to promote Canters’ superior interior space. Today, the Sumo and “not so squeezy” catch phrase are still synonymous with the Fuso brand and Canter still remains a popular choice with light-duty truck operators.