Volvo C303

Volvo Cross Country C303 (Tgb 11, A.K.A "Terrängbil 11", translated as "Terrain Vehicle 11") is the base model of a range of military vehicles produced by Volvo.

The car was developed in the late 60s based on the successful L3314 series and went into production in 1974. This version was produced both as a 4x4 and a 6x6. An 8x8 was planned but dropped. Engines were the B30 (B20 in the prototypes) from Volvo's civilian cars. The C3 series feature portal axles with locking differentials resulting in very high ground-clearance (similar to the Unimog) and outstanding performance offroad. The cars are narrow to make it possible to navigate between trees and on narrow forest roads.

They were also sold to civilian customers for rescue services, electricity companies etc. and private use. In the Swedish army the vehicles are designated "Terrängbil xx" (or "Tgb" for short) where "xx" is a number defining the type of vehicle. See table below.

In the 1983 Paris-Dakar rally a Volvo C303 won the class for trucks under 10 tonnes.

A total of 8,718 vehicles of the C3 series were made. Roughly 75% of these went into military service, with the remaining sold to civilian contracts. It was used by the Malaysian Army c. 1970–1990, the Royal Malaysian Police, and civilian users like Telekom Malaysia c. 1980s.

Variants

 * 4x4 versions (C303)
 * Tgb 11, basic hardtop model
 * Tgb 1111, soft-top model, fitted with the Pvpj 1110 90 mm recoilless antitank gun.
 * Tgb 1112, hardtop model equipped with an array of radio and telephone equipment
 * 6x6 versions (C304)
 * Tgb 13, basic hardtop model
 * Tgb 1313, hardtop model equipped with an array of radio and telephone equipment, much larger than the Tgb 1112
 * Tgb 1314, hardtop model designed as an ambulance
 * Tgb 1321, hardtop model equipped with radios, usually used to choreograph artillery batteries
 * 6x6 versions (C306)
 * Tgb 21, troop carrier, with room for up to 19 soldiers
 * Tgb 22, troop carrier (11 soldiers) and transport for RBS 70 anti-aircraft missile

Data

 * Top speed: about 100 km/h
 * Engine: Volvo B30A petrol
 * Power: 125 hp at 4200 rpm 117 hp at 4000 rpm for the military editions
 * Torque: 224 Nm at 2500 rpm 206 Nm at 2500 rpm for the military editions
 * Weight:
 * C303/tgb 11: 2400 kg, total 3300 kg
 * C304/Tgb 13: 2820 kg, total 4400 kg
 * C306/Tgb 20: 3390 kg, total 5700 kg
 * Dimensions:
 * C303/Tgb 11: length 4350 mm, width 1930 mm, height 2170 mm
 * C304/Tgb 13: length 5350 mm, width 1930 mm, height 2170 mm
 * C306/Tgb 20: length 6050 mm, width 2140 mm, height 2800 mm
 * Volume 2,982 litres
 * Leaf springs rear and front
 * Brakes: Drums on all wheels
 * dual, semi-redundant system, dual vacuum servo assist
 * Tyres: 8.90"×16", 285/80-16 or 9.00"×16"
 * Fuel tank: 85 litres

Military

 * 🇦🇴 Angola: Used by the People's Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola
 * 🇪🇪 Estonia: Used by the Military of Estonia
 * 🇱🇻 Latvia: Used by the Latvian Land Forces
 * 🇱🇹 Lithuania: Used by the Lithuanian Land Forces
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia: Used by the Malaysian Army (c. 1970–1990), Royal Malaysian Police
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden: Used by the Swedish Army

Civilian users

 * Telekom Malaysia (c. 1980s).
 * Vägverket, the Swedish public roads administration.
 * Vattenfall, the then Swedish state owned power company.
 * SSRS, The Swedish voluntary sea rescue society.
 * Numerous fire brigades in Sweden.

In Popular Culture
The Volvo C303 and C304 could possibly be an inspiration for the Autobello Stambecco, a fictional vehicle in the soft-body physics game BeamNG.drive. The Stambecco is also based on the Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer, of similar design.