1942 Diamond T 612SC Tractor: Polished Gem

摘要

Diamond T trucks once enjoyed a reputation like Peterbilt and Kenworth do today. Well built and dependable, Diamond Ts were also stylish and nicely finished. Founder C. A. Tilt's father manufactured shoes, and the top line was the Diamond T. The diamond represented quality and the "T" stood for Tilt. The shoe line served as the marque name when Tilt began building cars in 1907, then switched to trucks in 1911. While many truck makers floundered during the Great Depression, Diamond T hit its stride in the mid Thirties with production reaching 8750 in 1936. The company built its first cab-over-engine (COE) model for 1937. It added a range of semi-cab-overs in 1940 that the company called "Cab-Forward" long before Chrysler Corporation used the term to describe the design of its cars in the Nineties. Diamond T claimed that Cab-Forward design trimmed almost three feet from the wheelbase and, unlike a true COE, the truck was only slightly taller. Most Diamond Ts were powered by Hercules engines. Hercules was founded in Canton, Ohio, in 1915 and specialized in truck engines. It built almost 1 million engines during World War II, but sales declined after the war and Hercules eventually became part of the White Truck Corporation. White sold Hercules in the Eighties, and after a series of owners, ceased building engines in 1999, but continues to supply parts and rebuild truck and industrial engines.