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Trucks on Display

 

Below is a sampling of the many trucks on display in our Trucking Hall of Fame® Exhibit Hall.

1937 Mack AC


Engine Type:
471.2 Cubic Inch, 4-Cylinder, 71 Horsepower, Cast Block with Removable Heads

Transmission Type:
4-Speed with Chain Drive

Truck Information:
This 1937 Mack AC was the last of three delivered to The U.S. Trucking Corporation of New York City by the Mack Queens Branch on November 10, 1937. It is a coal truck that was originally equipped with a Heil Box. Heil Welding Co. got its start welding street car rails in 1901. Eventually, they began working on tanks and truck bodies. A reproduction of the original high-lift dump bed is on the truck at present. In the 1930s and 1940s, many homes and businesses were heated by coal. This truck would have been used for local home delivery of coal. The bed has a divider from front to back so a driver could take two half loads of coal out for delivery in one trip. There was a long chute that could dump the coal right into the designated coal room of a homeowner's basement. Records show that only two more 4-cylinder ACs were made after this one. This model has a single drive axle, chain drive, and narrow width axles. The engine in this truck was specific to Mack ACs; the 4-cylinder block design was introduced in 1928 and used until production of the model ceased. There were 40,299 ACs produced from 1915 to 1938, making it the longest production run of any commercial vehicle in American history. Though they looked the same for 23 years, they did get bigger and more powerful. Over 6,000 ACs were delivered to the US and British military during World War I. A legend surfaced that British soldiers would call for "Mack Bulldogs" to be sent when facing adversity, and so the nickname was born. The Mack Bulldog hood ornament was designed by Mack's chief engineer and began to adorn trucks in 1932. This specific truck was previously owned by Francis Ryan from Chelsea, Vermont. Mr. Ryan owned his own heavy haul business under the name F. Ryan. He was a truck collector far before anyone knew they would be valuable as antiques. Through the years, he owned several hundred antique trucks. This truck has been part of the Iowa 80 Collection since 1980, but was newly restored in 2011. Top Speed: 20 MPH



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