| Diamond T Trucks - "The Cadillac of Trucks" C. A. Tilt, son of a Chicago shoe manufacturer, established a machine shop in the corner of his father's Diamond T shoe factory in 1905. He obtained financial backing and began manufacturing automobiles. The Diamond T Motorcar Company produced cars until 1911, when a customer asked Tilt if he could produce a truck. He could, and he did, and soon Diamond Quit making cars to concentrate on trucks. By 1915 the company began selling trucks outside the Chicago area. During the First World War, Diamond Built 1500 class B trucks for the army. The company continued to grow though the 1920's, and in 1927 and 1928 made a major change, switching from slow, heavy duty vehicles, to lighter, faster and much more stylish trucks. The company became one of the major truck manufacturers, and from 1911 through 1966produced over 250,000 Diamond T trucks. |
