Andrew’s the man putting van into MAN expansion

MEET Andrew Taylor, who’s the man tasked with heading up the project putting van into MAN as the truck and bus specialist expands into the light commercials market.

As we reported earlier this month in Business Vans, Truck maker MAN to launch 3.5t van, MAN Bus & Truck is taking on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range by launching the MAN TGE, a twin of the next generation Volkswagen Crafter, to be built together on a new production line in Poland.  That production move sees the end of a VW partnership with Mercedes-Benz, building Crafter on the same line as Sprinter.

There will be much more than just a van to lead into the truck range, giving a spread from three to 44 tonnes. The new MAN TGE range  will be revealed at the 2016 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show, in Hanover, before it goes on sale in 2017 with various power ranges with front, rear and four-wheel drive and a choice of transmissions, producing a vehicle to meet all van drivers’ needs, with anticipated development of the UK dealer network.

Andrew Taylor began working for MAN Truck & Bus in 1998 and has held a number of management roles within the company including truck sales and aftermarket. In November 2011 he was appointed head of parts for MAN Truck & Bus – Middle East – based in Dubai.  He stayed in that role until he was appointed to head up the LCV project earlier this year.

Simon Elliott, managing director of MAN Truck & Bus UK, who appointed Taylor to head up the MAN van project, added that when he himself worked for VW, his ethos was ‘van people, talking van language to van customers’. “That belief has not changed,” he stressed.

“Having the right product with the right strategy, backed by a great dealer network who understand what customers want, will be key to the success of the MAN TGE range.”