Diamond T Trucks 1911-1966 Photo Archive
Diamond T Trucks 1911-1966 Photo Archive
ITEM E387
By Robert Gabrick
The Diamond T Motor Car Company manufactured automobiles until 1911 when the first truck, purchased by a satisfied automobile customer, led to exclusive truck production and soon gained legendary status as style leaders.
While “The Handsomest Truck in America” became a long-standing slogan, Diamond T also emphasized its engineering leadership. Builders of more than 1500 Class B “Liberty” trucks in World War I; Diamond T produced nearly 50,000 thousand prime movers, half-tracks, army wreckers, tank tractors, and tank movers in World War II.
The late 1940s were years of peak production, but as the 1950s progressed, Diamond T found independent status problematic. The White Motor Company purchased Diamond T in 1958; moving production from Chicago to Reo’s manufacturing facilities in Lansing, Michigan, in 1960, creating the Lansing Division to produce Diamond T and Reo trucks. Both Diamond T and Reo ceased to be separate trucks starting in 1967 when White’s new Diamond Reo Division began producing Diamond Reo trucks.
Travel back in time to see these handsome trucks in large archival photos with in-depth captions. A great companion book to Reo Trucks 1910-1966 Photo Archive.
Softbound, 10.25”x 8.5”, 128 pages, 117 photos
The history of Diamond T trucks, highly regarded for their quality and attractive appearance, dates to C.A. Tilt’s establishment of the Diamond T Motor Car Co. in 1905 and its first trucks in 1911. This book—one that I wrote for the Photo Archive Series—differs significantly from earlier series volumes. The paperback landscape format book features a detailed six-page introduction and, most significantly, lengthy captions that usually exceed 200 words for each of the 117 full-page black-and-white photographs arranged in chronological order. Extensive use of sales literature and advertising as well as a reliance on contemporary trade publications provide a factual grounding for the book’s in-depth narrative. Eric Wentworth, the grandson of C.A. Tilt, contributed to a greater understanding of Tilt’s role in the company’s success. Highlights include coverage of the stylish Model 80 delivery truck equipped with whitewall tires and full wheel covers and its successor, the 1938 Fast Dispatch Model 201. In 1939, Diamond T took over the sales and service of the unique Pak-Age-Car, introduced in 1927. Sadly, Diamond T as a distinct brand ended with White Motor Corp.’s introduction of the Diamond Reo in 1967.
Book Review by Robert Gabrick
