Turns out, you can flat-pack just about anything, even a truck. The OX truck was designed by British car designer Gordon Murray (of Formula One and McLaren F1 fame) for the Global Vehicle Trust (GVT), a British charity established in 2013 by Torquil Norman to create affordable and rugged all-terrain vehicles for developing countries.
Intended to address the dire need for adequate transportation in and to accommodate the varied topography of rural villages in Africa, the OX was created to provide a cost-effective and reliable way of carrying out crucial daily tasks such as collecting water, transporting medicine, food, and building materials, and going to school.
As such, the OX is lightweight, durable, low-cost, and easily maintainable. It can be shipped fully assembled, or flat-packed, a more realistic choice for shipment to more remote, international territories. Once it arrives at its destination, local professionals will be employed to put together and maintain the truck. It takes three people approximately 12 hours to assemble the OX.
Once assembled, the truck features a centrally placed steering wheel to accommodate both right and left-seated driving laws, an innovative two-wheel drive system that performs as well or better than four-wheel drive (a choice made to cut down on cost, weight, and complexity), and though it’s shorter than a traditional SUV, seats for up to 13 passengers, and ample cargo space with a maximum load capacity of 1,900 kilograms, or about two tons.
The GVT is currently seeking funding to take the prototype into production. Take a look below.