In Scania’s history, cab-over-engine trucks have always been the mainstream. Among them, the S-Series and R-Series are familiar members. Their excellent design and powerful performance have brought the reputation of “King of the Highway” to Scania. However, there was also a special model called the T-Series in Scania’s history. It featured a long-hood design, resembling American trucks. Though it was only a “fleeting glimpse,” it still gathered a loyal fan base.
Today, the main character of our article is a Scania long-hood truck, model T 164, born in 2004. As a special model, the production duration of Scania’s T-Series was quite short, and the production volume wasn’t high either. The ones that have been preserved till today are mostly modified, expensive, and are sought after in the classic truck market, just like our protagonist today.
In 1995, Scania officially launched the 4-Series trucks. As the successor of the 3-Series, the development of the 4-Series began as early as 1989. Scania invested 8 billion Swedish Krona into the 4-Series, integrating powerful performance, highly modular design, and excellent aerodynamics. The cab of the 4-Series was co-developed by Scania and the renowned Italian design firm Pininfarina, offering excellent visuals, low drag, and a user-friendly design that drivers appreciated.
The T 164 long-hood truck we see today is a proud member of the Scania 4-Series, as indicated by its model name: the “4” represents the 4-Series, and the “16” denotes a 16-liter engine. After the 164 model number, the letter “L” is added, indicating the vehicle is a long-haul model, featuring top-notch power and comfort.
In terms of appearance, the Scania T 164 long-hood truck is quite iconic. The cab’s contours retain the smooth lines consistent with the 4-Series trucks, helping reduce air resistance and creating a more modern look. On top of that, the sharp and well-structured lines present a “blend of strength and grace,” enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the truck.
Building on the excellent original lines, this Scania T 164 long-hood truck features a unique paint job. It uses dark blue as the main color, complemented by beige stripes, wheel trims, and a painted front grille, adding a layered look to the truck’s exterior, full of details.
Due to its unique body structure, Scania’s T-Series has always been a favorite in the customization market. However, the modifications on this T 164 long-hood truck remain quite restrained, without adding too many flashy features. A sun visor with marker lights and the “INTERCOOLER” sign was added above the front windshield. The cab roof has been fitted with a light bar, light boxes, rotating warning lights, and chrome-plated air horns, presenting a subtle yet distinctly European truck style.
This Scania T 164 long-hood truck also has well-designed side skirts, enclosing components like fuel tanks along the chassis sides, creating a clean and tidy appearance, while also reducing air resistance.
The side skirts match the truck’s body color, maintaining visual consistency. The added white edges emphasize the presence of the side skirts. Below the skirts are newly installed light bars, with the added lights serving both as markers and decorative features.
With modifications on the front and sides, why not do the same for the rear? At the end of the frame, this Scania T 164 is equipped with a new retro-style bumper, featuring multiple round lights for taillights. The bumper’s central area serves as the license plate zone, illuminated by warm lights, creating a striking visual effect.
The large-displacement V8 engine has always been the soul of Scania trucks, known for its powerful output and robust sound, beloved by truck drivers and enthusiasts worldwide. How to convey this “emotional value”? It’s achieved through the vertically mounted exhaust pipes behind the cab. Chrome-plated for emphasis, they shine brightly in the sun. When the engine runs, the powerful sound resonates from both front and back, enveloping the driver, amplifying the experience.
Above the chassis, this Scania T 164 long-hood truck is covered with patterned steel plates, consistent with the color of the wheel arches and the body, enhancing the truck’s cohesiveness. Moreover, these plates serve as natural work platforms, facilitating boarding and improving safety and convenience.
The gaps between the wheels are filled with panels, with added edge detailing and indicator lights, showcasing attention to detail.
The Scania 4-Series debuted in 1995. Though nearly 30 years have passed, certain characteristics of this T 164 long-hood truck still stand out. For instance, Scania introduced an advanced modular concept with the 4-Series, enabling the production of cab-over and long-hood trucks on the same assembly line. By moving the cab back and installing a new engine cover, the long-hood truck structure was easily completed. This concept allowed the T-Series trucks to share most components with the cab-over models, reducing development costs and benefiting long-term use and maintenance.
In terms of power, Scania’s legendary V8 engine was naturally included. This 15.6-liter engine can deliver 480 horsepower and 2300 Nm of torque, paired with the Scania GRS900R manual transmission, featuring a hydraulic retarder to enhance safety on long downhill stretches. Although this engine’s performance might seem modest today—since a 13-liter inline-six engine can achieve similar figures—its modification potential remains high. Many mature solutions are available on the market to boost power to around 550 hp with minor tweaks.
Compared to cab-over trucks, the Scania T-Series long-hood trucks have a cab positioned further back. To accommodate the cab and prevent collisions with trailers, this T 164 long-hood truck adopts a long wheelbase of 4.15 meters, creating more space. As a side note, this truck was originally a standard wheelbase R 164 cab-over tractor, later modified to become a T 164 long-hood truck. The modification process had minimal structural impact and was relatively low-cost, showcasing the benefits of Scania’s modular system.
The truck uses a 6×2 drive configuration, with the second axle being a single reduction drive axle, and the third axle as a tag axle, featuring an airbag lift function. This allows the axle to be lifted when the truck is empty or lightly loaded, reducing driving resistance and tire wear while decreasing the vehicle’s turning radius. When loaded, the lift axle can be lowered, enhancing load capacity and driving stability.
Air suspension is also a feature on this Scania T 164. It takes up less chassis space, enabling a more compact layout. Additionally, it offers superior shock absorption, ideal for transporting high-value cargo, while providing a more comfortable ride.
The air suspension can be quickly adjusted via a handle.
As a high-end truck with a unique long-nose design, it naturally comes with top-level configurations. This Scania T 164 is equipped with a TopLine high-roof cab, providing the driver with luxurious and spacious interior space. Twenty years ago, the Scania TopLine cab was the epitome of top-tier products.
Over the past 20 years, the interior inevitably shows signs of wear. Fortunately, the owner has maintained it very well; the interior is in excellent condition, as can be seen from the door panels. The discoloration is not due to fading but is instead a new covering added by the owner, complete with the Scania logo, showing a keen attention to detail.
Various plastic components are also kept in top-notch condition, showing no signs of deterioration even after 20 years.
Scania has always been a leader in ergonomics. In this T 164 long-nose truck, Scania introduced a wraparound dashboard, with smooth curves facing the driver, making it easy to observe and operate the controls. The owner also customized a three-spoke retro steering wheel, which provides less obstruction to the instruments and adds a classic touch to the interior.
The wood grain trim gives the interior a more vintage feel.
The instrument cluster consists of several mechanical gauges: on the far left are the vehicle status gauges, displaying information such as water temperature and fuel level. The center top is the tachometer, with the optimal torque range marked by an “E” for Efficient. The rightmost gauge shows the speed. Although it lacks the modern smart features of today’s trucks, there’s no denying that mechanical gauges have a certain charm.
Both the driver’s and passenger’s seats are equipped with a shock-absorbing system, covered in genuine leather, ensuring comfort.
A television is installed inside the cab, providing entertainment during rest stops.
Unlike the double-bunk layout of modern trucks, the upper bunk in the Scania TopLine cab is designed at the front of the cabin, with the overhead storage cabinets relocated to the rear wall. This unique design makes it easier to access the bunk and frees up space, thereby increasing the size of the sleeping area.
The interior of this Scania T 164 has been enhanced with soft padding, along with curtains and other homey features, giving it a cozier feel and ensuring a better, more comfortable sleep.
The special bunk layout increases the space available around the lower bunk, and a larger, more luxurious storage cabinet is installed, allowing drivers to carry more personal items on the road
Currently, this special Scania T 164 long-nose truck is listed for sale under the Dutch classic truck dealership GoverStone. Having been on the road for 20 years, it has accumulated over 720,000 kilometers. However, thanks to the owner’s diligent maintenance, both the exterior and interior remain in great condition, showing no signs of aging. The truck is listed at a price of €89,900, which, at the current exchange rate, translates to nearly 700,000 RMB. Would you choose it? Thank you for reading! For more interesting and informative commercial vehicle content, don’t forget to follow us!
