 | |
| Industry | Automotive |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 |
| Founder | C. A. Tilt |
| Defunct | 1967 |
| Fate | Merged |
| Successor | Diamond Reo Trucks |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Products | Automobiles, trucks |
The Diamond T Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer. They produced commercial and military trucks.
The Diamond T Motor Car Company was founded in Chicago in 1905 by C. A. Tilt. Reportedly, the company name was created when Tilt’s shoe-making father fashioned a logo featuring a big “T” (for Tilt) framed by a diamond, which signified high quality. [1] The company's hood emblem on trucks was a sled dog in harness. From its beginnings manufacturing touring cars, the company later became known for its trucks. By 1967, as a subsidiary of White Motor Company, it was merged with Reo Motor Company to become Diamond Reo Trucks, Inc. [2]
During World War II, Diamond T produced a prototype of a heavy truck in the 980/981, a prime mover which was adapted and quickly acquired by the British Purchasing Commission for duty as a tank transporter tractor. Coupled with a Rogers trailer, the truck gave sterling service with the British Army in North Africa Campaign, where its power and rugged construction allowed the rescue of damaged tanks in the most demanding of conditions. [3] [ citation needed ] In addition Diamond T built the entire range of the G509 series 4 ton 6X6s, including cargo, dump, semi tractor, and wrecker trucks, [4] as well as some lighter trucks, and even G7102 half tracks. [5] Diamond T ranked 47th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. [6] Diamond T manufactured three pickup trucks: The Model 80,201 and the Model 202. The pickups were powered by the Hercules QX-series 6-cylinder engines. The model 80 was produced from 1936 to 1938 and the Model 201 was produced from 1938 to 1949.
Diamond T produced automobiles in Chicago from 1905 to 1911. The models produced were powerful touring cars of up to 70 hp. [7]
| Model and Year | Engine | HP | Wheelbase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond T (1907) | Four-cylinder | 40 | 114″ |
| Diamond T (1908) | Four-cylinder | 50 | 114″ |
| Diamond T (1909) | Four-cylinder | 50 | 114″ |
| Model D (1910) | Four-cylinder | 35 | 108″ |
| Model E (1910) | Four-cylinder | 45 | 124″ |
| Diamond T (1911) | Four-cylinder | 45 | 124" |
1928–1929 brought major mechanical improvements across the entire range. A closed cab with doors was introduced. All-wheel hydraulic drum brakes were used. Six-cylinder engines were available from Continental and Hercules for heavy trucks and a four-cylinder Buda powered light trucks. All trucks had geared-differential rear axles. By 1929 there were chassis load ratings (the weight of the body and payload) up to 12 tons (10,900 kg) on three axles.
1933–1935 In 1933 a new all-steel covered cab with doors and roll-up windows was introduced. In a 1935 model year style change it had been improved with a "streamlined" V-style windshield. This cab would be used on commercial and military trucks until replaced in 1951. In 1935 the trucks were also improved mechanically and new models were introduced. They developed through the rest of the 1930s. In 1940 Hercules six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines up to 118 horsepower (88 kW) were used and Cummins diesels up to 200 horsepower (150 kW) were introduced in 1940.
1940–1942 In 1940 Hercules six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines up to 118 horsepower (88 kW) were used and Cummins diesels up to 200 horsepower (150 kW) were introduced. In 1942 improved models went into production and then stopped after only 530 units for military production of tactical trucks and half-tracks.
1946–1947 Production of commercial trucks was stopped for military production in 1942. A small number of commercial trucks began to be built in 1944 and more in 1945. In 1946, the first year of full commercial production, there were five models, in 1947 there were fourteen. After World War II heavy trucks were measured by Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), the total weight of the chassis, body, and payload. In 1947 there were chassis rated from 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) to 36,000 pounds (16,000 kg) with conventional, sleeper, and COE models. Annual model changes were discontinued and many models continued unchanged until 1950. Gasoline and diesel engines were offered by Continental, Cummins, and Hercules. Single and tandem rear axles were available in many wheelbases.
Model 980/981 12-ton 6x4 trucks (G159) were ballast tractors used as tank transporters. Designed for the British military they were also used by the US Army. Powered by a 895 cubic inches (14.7 L) Hercules DFXE diesel engine developing 185 horsepower (138 kW) and geared very low, it could pull a trailer of up to 115,000 pounds (52,000 kg) and proved capable of the task of moving the heaviest tanks then in service. Early trucks used a standard Diamond T commercial cab (also used by the 4-ton G509 trucks). In August 1943 it was replaced with an open military cab. A long butterfly hood had vertical louvers along both sides. [3] [8]
A short ballast body was mounted behind a mid-mounted winch. There were closed tool compartments along both sides, two open containers in the front, and a bottom-hinged tailgate. The box could hold 18,000 pounds (8,200 kg) of ballast to increase traction on the rear tandem axles. When paired with the M9 Rogers trailer, the combination was designated the M19 tank transporter. [3] [8] A number of cars were delivered to the USSR under Lend-Lease during WWII.
Model 968 4-ton 6x6 truck (G509) Prime mover cargo trucks entered production as the standard 4-ton 6x6 chassis in 1941. It was produced with both a closed steel commercial-style cab and later an open military cab. It was designed to tow a ??? gun and carry its crew and ammunition. The chassis was used for different bodies but the majority of 4-tons were Model 968s. [4] [9]
Standard models were powered by the 6 cyl., 529 cubic inches (8.7 L) Hercules RXC engine that developed 106 horsepower (79 kW) mated to a five speed manual transmission and two speed transfer case. The truck weighed 18,450 pounds (8,370 kg) and could tow 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg). [4] [9]
Model 967 was a pre-standard prime mover cargo truck (21 were built as wreckers). Produced in early 1941, it was fitted with Hercules RXB 501 cubic inches (8.2 L) inline six cylinder engine. Distinguishable by one piece brush guard on the front. [4]
Model 969 Wrecker was the US Army's standard medium wrecker during World War II. It was equipped with the Holmes W-45 heavy-duty military wrecker bed with its twin boom and two 5-ton winches at the front of the bed as well as a front-mounted winch. A variety of other recovery equipment was carried, along with its own air compressor. It weighed 21,350 pounds (9,680 kg) and could tow 25,000 pounds (11,000 kg). [4]
Model 970 Cargo truck was designed to carry bridging pontoons. The bed is 16 inches (406.40 mm) longer than the 968. [4]
Model 972 dump truck was the largest the US Army had during World War II. Originally they were not fitted with front winches in order to reduce front axle loading. After a Corps of Engineers request, winches were fitted from June 1944 onwards. [4]
Model 975 was a bridge truck built for Canada.
The Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) is an eight-wheel drive, diesel-powered, 10-short-ton (9,100 kg) tactical truck. The M977 HEMTT first entered service in 1982 with the United States Army as a replacement for the M520 Goer, and since that date has remained in production for the U.S. Army and other nations. By Q2 2021, around 35,800 HEMTTs in various configurations had been produced by Oshkosh Defense through new-build contracts and around 14,000 of these had been re-manufactured. Current variants have the A4 suffix.
The Studebaker US6 (G630) was a series of 2+1⁄2-ton 6×6 and 5-ton 6×4 trucks manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation and REO Motor Car Company during World War II. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 2+1⁄2-short-ton cargo load over any type of terrain in any weather. Most of these were exported to the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease by the US during World War II, since the competing GMC 6×6 CCKW design proved to be more suitable for Western Front conditions.
The Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) is a series of vehicles used by the U.S. Marines. The first MTVRs were delivered in late 1999. The MTVR is the equivalent of the U.S. Army's Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV); the Marines do not use the FMTV and the Army does not use the MTVR.
The Mighty Antar was a heavy-duty 6×4 tractor unit built by Thornycroft from the late 1940s onwards. For some decades it was the standard tank transporter of the British Army and was also used by other nations. It was powered by a shortened V8 land version of the V12 Meteor engine, derived from the Merlin and modified to run on diesel, known as the Rolls-Royce Meteorite.
The M939 is a 5-ton 6×6 U.S. military heavy truck. The basic cargo versions were designed to transport a 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) cargo load over all terrain in all weather. Designed in the late 1970s to replace the M39 and M809 series of trucks, it has been in service ever since. The M939 evolved into its own family of cargo trucks, dump trucks, semi-tractors, vans, wreckers, and bare chassis/cabs for specialty bodies. 44,590 in all were produced.
The M19 tank transporter was a heavy tank transporter system used in World War II and into the 1950s. It consisted of a 12-ton 6×4 M20 Diamond T model 980 truck and companion 12-wheel M9 trailer.
The M35 2½-ton cargo truck is a long-lived 2½-ton 6×6 cargo truck initially used by the United States Army and subsequently utilized by many nations around the world. Over time it evolved into a family of specialized vehicles. It inherited the nickname "Deuce and a Half" from an older 2½-ton truck, the World War II GMC CCKW.
The M39 series 5-ton 6×6 truck (G744) was a family of heavy tactical trucks built for the United States Armed Forces. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 5-ton (4,500 kg), 14 ft (4.3 m) long load over all terrain in all weather. In on-road service the load weight was doubled.
The GMC CCKW, also known as "Jimmy", or the G-508 by its Ordnance Supply Catalog number, was a highly successful series of off-road capable, 21⁄2-ton, 6×6 trucks, built in large numbers to a standardized design for the U.S. Army, that saw heavy service, predominantly as cargo trucks, in both World War II and the Korean War. The original "Deuce and a Half", it formed the backbone of the famed Red Ball Express that kept Allied armies supplied as they pushed eastward after the Normandy invasion.
The M1120 HEMTT LHS is a M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with a load handling system in place of a flat bed/cargo body. The HEMTT is an eight-wheel drive, diesel-powered, tactical truck used by the US military and others. The HEMTT is manufactured by Oshkosh Defense and entered Army service in 1982, with the M1120 variant first produced in 1999.
The Mack model EH trucks were a family of 4x2 trucks used by the US and British military before and during World War II. They were built in conventional and cab-over-engine models and were used as both trucks and semi-tractors. Originally a commercial design, in 1943 a military version became standard.
The Mack M123 (G792) was a 10-ton 6x6 semi-tractor introduced in 1955. The Mack M125 was a heavy cargo truck version of the M123. The M123 was used to tow tank transporter trailers while the M125 towed field artillery pieces.
The Autocar Model U8144T, officially "5- to 6-Ton, 4×4, Ponton Tractor Truck", was the largest, and most heavy-duty, of a family of heavy four-wheel drive trucks developed for, and deployed primarily with, the United States Army in World War II. They were of a "cab over engine" design, and produced by the Autocar Company from 1941 to 1945 with 2,711 being built.
Mack Trucks has been selling heavy duty trucks and buses to the United States military since 1911. Virtually every model has been used. The majority have been commercial models designed and built by Mack with their own components, but they have also designed and built military specification tactical trucks. The military vehicles are rated by payload measured in tons.
The M809 Series 5-ton 6x6 truck (G908) was a family of heavy tactical trucks built for the United States Armed Forces. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 5-ton (4,500 kg), 14 ft (4.3 m) long load over all terrain in all weather. In on-road service the load weight was doubled. Built by AM General, they evolved into the M939 Series.
The 6-ton 6×6 truck was a family of heavy tactical trucks built for the United States Army during World War II. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 6- short ton (5,400 kg) cargo load over all terrain in all weather. The chassis were built by Brockway Motor Company, The Corbitt Company, The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD), Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation, and White Motor Company. They were replaced by the M54 5-ton 6x6 trucks in the 1950s.
The 5‑ton 6x6 truck, officially "Truck, 5-ton, 6x6", was a class of heavy-duty six-wheel drive trucks used by the US Armed Forces. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 5-ton (4,500 kg) load over all roads and cross-country terrain in all weather. Through three evolutionary series there have been component improvements, but all trucks were mechanically very similar. They were the standard heavy-duty truck of the US military for 40 years, until replaced by the Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) beginning in 1991.
The Kenworth 10-ton 6x6 heavy wrecking truck (G116) was the standard heavy wrecker of the US Army during World War II. It was replaced in the 1950s by 5-ton wreckers.
The Diamond T 4-ton 6×6 truck was a heavy tactical truck built for the United States Army during World War II. Its G-number was G-509. Cargo models were designed to transport a 4-ton (3,600 kg) load over all terrain in all weather. There were also wrecker, dump, and other models. They were replaced by the M39 series 5-ton 6×6 trucks in the 1950s.
