The Argosy made its debut as a 1998 concept vehicle as a cabover derived from the Century Class conventional. Along in an effort to develop a successor to the FLB cabover, the concept was optimized for trailer lengths of up to 58 feet, effectively reducing highway truck traffic. Along with the use of shared body components, the Argosy adopted telematics from the Century Class, facilitating electronic braking, messaging capability, daytime running lights, and traction control.
First generation (1999–2011)
Entering mass production in 1999, the Argosy adopted virtually all the features of the 1998 concept vehicle. While offered solely with the axle below the driver, several cab configurations were produced. Along with a 63-inch BBC daycab, cab lengths of 90 inches, 101 inches, and 110 inches were offered, with a mid-roof sleeper and a raised-roof sleeper. While sharing a 2-piece windshield configuration with the Century Class as standard, a 1-piece windshield with 3 windshield wipers was an option. On all sleeper-cab variants, the Argosy was offered with electrically-powered pivoting entrance steps. In contrast to many American cabover trucks, the engine intrusion inside the cab was largely eliminated, raising the floor only three inches between the seats, with the gear shifter integrated into the dashboard console. As with conventional-cab trucks, drivers were able to walk into the sleeper cab. In 2006, the Argosy received an optional minor facelift, which replaced the original Century Class sourced grille with a new unit that was flushed with the bumper vents. Later, the cab corner vents were also updated. The interior received minor revisions as well, and chassis fairings were improved for greater fuel efficiency. This model was marketed as the Argosy Evolution.
In 2012, a second generation of the Argosy was introduced. While retaining the basic cab structure of the previous generation, the second-generation Argosy shifts its design influence from the Century Class to its replacement, the Cascadia. Continuing to use the original doors also shared with the Century Class, Columbia, and Coronado, the second-generation Argosy adopted a similar dashboard configuration as the Cascadia; in place of the two-piece grille derived from the Century Class, the Argosy received its own single-piece grille. While produced in the United States, the second-generation Argosy is sold primarily for export. Since 2007, all North American sales of the Argosy have consisted of glider truck kits, a combination of a newly constructed body and frame with customer-supplied drivetrain.
Export use
As part of its development, the Argosy was intended to comply with European crashworthiness standards, becoming one of the safest trucks tested of the time. As cabovers remained popular in markets outside North America, Freightliner continued to produce the Argosy for export markets, developing right-hand drive versions for South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Along with offering right-hand drive, export versions of the Argosy offer several configurations not offered in North America, including twin-steer front axles, grille/bumper guards, and axle layouts configured for road trains.
