Diamond Reo Trucks

Last updated
Diamond Reo Trucks
Industry Automotive
Predecessor Diamond T Motor Truck Co.
REO Motor Car Co.
Founded1967;57 years ago (1967)
Defunct2013;11 years ago (2013)
Headquarters Lansing, Michigan
Products Trucks
A 1970 Diamond REO truck in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. 1970 Diamond REO table top (5986672619).jpg
A 1970 Diamond REO truck in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
A Diamond Reo truck at a show Diamond reo truck (8-01-10 ESATA Truck show).jpg
A Diamond Reo truck at a show
A Diamond Reo C114 DSC 5535 (10474171093).jpg
A Diamond Reo C114

Diamond Reo Trucks was an American truck manufacturer. In 1967, Diamond T and Reo Trucks were combined to form the Diamond Reo Trucks Division of the White Motor Corporation. Reo dated back to 1904 when Ransom E. Olds, founder of Oldsmobile, began building motor cars, and Diamond T dated back to 1905 when C. A. Tilt began building vehicles.

Contents

In 1971, Francis L. Cappaert of Birmingham, Alabama, bought Diamond Reo from White and formed an independent company called Diamond Reo Trucks Inc. And, at about the same time the Diamond Reo C-116 series was introduced, which featured Cummins NTC-335, NTC-350, NTA-370 and Detroit Diesel 12V-71N engines. Despite new model introductions and excellent reputation Diamond Reo was forced into bankruptcy on December 6, 1974.

One year later Loyal Osterlund and partner Ray Houseal bought the rights to Diamond Reo trucks and made room to continue production in their Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, facility, originally a dealership and maintenance facility. The single model C-116 Giant was continued in production with the Cummins NTC-290 diesel engine as standard power. Production for 1978 was 131 units. By 1985, the Harrisburg plant was expanded to be able to produce 10 trucks per day, although output continued at about two per day. The company continued to build about 150 Class 8 trucks annually through 1995 all as Diamond Vehicle Solutions LLC.

In the early 2000s Diamond Vehicle Solutions marketed the T-Line series described as "a blend of vintage Diamond T heritage and modern engineering". [1] The T-Line's series included one long-nose and two medium-nose models with the company manufacturing frames and other parts, and outfits basic cabs it obtained from Navistar; it offered Caterpillar and Cummins diesels, Eaton and Allison transmissions, and Dana and Meritor axles. [1] These trucks were manufactured until 2010 with parts manufacturing lasting until 2013. [1]

Recent developments

Diamond Vehicle Solutions is now doing business as T-Line Trucks & Chassis; and in May 2015, T-Line announced that it intended to resume production of Class 6, 7, and 8 trucks and tractors, mostly for vocational use. T-Line will also produce glider kits and complete "made-to-order" trucks. [2]

Original (1967 - 1974) Diamond Reo truck series

Conventional

Cabover

Inter-City Service

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REO Motor Car Company</span> American automotive company

The REO Motor Car Company was a company based in Lansing, Michigan, which produced automobiles and trucks from 1905 to 1975. At one point, the company also manufactured buses on its truck platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">REO Speed Wagon</span> Light motor truck

The REO Speed Wagon was a light motor truck model manufactured by REO Motor Car Company. It is an ancestor of the pickup truck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mack Trucks</span> American truck manufacturing company

Mack Trucks, Inc. is an American truck manufacturing company and a former manufacturer of buses and trolley buses. Founded in 1900 as the Mack Brothers Company, it manufactured its first truck in 1905 and adopted its present name in 1922. Mack Trucks is a subsidiary of AB Volvo, which purchased Mack along with its then parent company Renault Véhicules Industriels in 2000.

Freightliner Trucks is a US semi truck manufacturer. Founded in 1929 as the truck-manufacturing division of Consolidated Freightways, the company was established in 1942 as Freightliner Corporation. Owned by Daimler AG from 1981 to 2021, Freightliner is now a part of Daimler Truck subsidiary Daimler Truck North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenworth</span> American truck manufacturer

Kenworth Truck Company is an American truck manufacturer. Founded in 1923 as the successor to Gersix Motor Company, Kenworth specializes in production of heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial vehicles. Headquartered in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Washington, Kenworth has been a wholly owned subsidiary of PACCAR since 1945, operating alongside sister company Peterbilt Motors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peterbilt</span> American truck manufacture

Peterbilt Motors Company is an American truck manufacturer. Established in 1939 from the acquisition of Fageol Truck and Motor Company, Peterbilt specializes in the production of heavy-duty and medium-duty commercial vehicles. The namesake of company founder T. A. "Al" Peterman, Peterbilt has operated as part of PACCAR since 1958, operating alongside sister division Kenworth Truck Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navistar</span> American industrial company

Navistar, Inc. is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus brand. On July 1, 2021, Navistar became a wholly owned subsidiary of Traton, and therefore part of the Volkswagen Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Autocar Company</span> American truck manufacturer

The Autocar Company is an American specialist manufacturer of severe-duty, Class 7 and Class 8 vocational trucks, with its headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. Started in 1897 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as a manufacturer of Brass Era automobiles, and trucks from 1899, Autocar is the oldest surviving motor vehicle brand in the Western Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford F-Series (medium-duty truck)</span> Medium-duty line of trucks manufactured by Ford

The medium-duty version of the Ford F-Series is a range of commercial trucks manufactured by Ford since 1948. Derived from the smaller F-Series pickup trucks, the medium-duty range is currently in its eighth generation. Initially slotted between the F-Series pickup trucks and the "Big Job" conventionals, later generations were slotted below the L-Series "Louisville" trucks; the last two generations are the largest vehicles produced by Ford since its exit from the heavy-truck segment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shyft Group</span> American automobile design company

The Shyft Group, formerly known as Spartan Motors, is an American automobile design company that designs, engineers and manufactures specialty chassis, specialty vehicles, truck bodies and aftermarket parts for the recreational vehicle (RV), government services, and delivery and service markets. The company started in 1975 as a direct result of the bankruptcy of Diamond Reo. It is currently headquartered in Novi, Michigan and has 3,000 employees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isuzu Forward</span> Line of medium-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Isuzu

The Isuzu Forward is a line of medium-duty commercial vehicles manufactured by Isuzu since 1970, following the earlier TY model which occupied the same slot in the market. All F-series trucks are cab over designs and the cabin comes fully built from the factory. Most models come with a diesel engine; but, some markets get CNG derivatives as well. The F-series is available a variety of cab styles, engines, 4WD or 2WD depending on the market it is sold. While Isuzu's main plant is in Japan, these trucks are locally assembled from CKD kits in numerous countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamond T</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

The Diamond T Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer. They produced commercial and military trucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mack F series</span> Motor vehicle

The Mack F series was the third generation of cabover trucks from Mack Trucks. Its production began in 1962 and ended in 1981. It was produced primarily as a set-forward axle truck but a setback axle version was shipped overseas. The cab came in a 50-inch (1371.6 mm) day cab. Sleeper models included a 72-inch (1828.8 mm), 80 inch (2032 mm) and later a "bustle back" was added that lengthened the sleeper to 86 inches (2184.4 mm).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMC General</span> Motor vehicle

The GMC General is a heavy-duty truck that was assembled by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors from 1977 to 1987. The largest conventional-cab truck ever produced by the company, the product line replaced the C/M 90/9500 trucks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GMC Astro</span> Motor vehicle

The GMC Astro is a heavy-duty cabover truck that was manufactured by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors from the 1969 to 1987 model years. Succeeding the F/D-series "Crackerbox" cabovers, the Astro was marketed by Chevrolet as the Titan, serving as the largest cabover truck ever produced by General Motors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford L series</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford L-series is a range of commercial trucks that were assembled and marketed by Ford between 1970 and 1998. They are also known as Ford Louisville or, for the 1990s aerodynamic models, Ford Aeromax. The first dedicated Class 8 truck produced by the company, although Ford had been producing "Heavy Duty" trucks since 1948 and their "Super Duty" lineup since 1958. The L-Series was the successor of the F-900/F-1000 Super Duty and the Ford N-Series. The line encompassed a wide range of models in GVWR Classes 6 through 8, as either straight trucks or as semi-tractors, with vehicles developed for medium-duty, on-highway, severe-service, and vocational applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International R series</span> Motor vehicle platform

The International R series is a model range of trucks that was manufactured by International Harvester. Introduced in 1953 as the replacement for the International L series, the model line marked the introduction of the IH "tractor" grille emblem on International road vehicles. Sharing a cab with its predecessor, the R-series marked the introduction of four-wheel drive vehicles and the wider use of diesel engines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Supercoach</span> Motor vehicle

The Crown Supercoach is a bus that was constructed and marketed by Crown Coach Corporation from 1948 to 1991. While most examples were sold as yellow school buses, the Supercoach formed the basis for motorcoaches and other specialty vehicles using the same body and chassis. While technically available outside of the West Coast, nearly all Crown school buses were sold in Washington state, Oregon and California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freightliner Business Class M2</span> Motor vehicle

The Freightliner Business Class M2 is a model range of medium-duty trucks produced by Freightliner since the 2003 model year. The first /(after-Ford Model TT, Ford Model TT, Ford Model AA, Ford Model AA, Ford Model BB, Ford Model BB, Ford V8 1½-Ton, Ford V8 1½-Ton, Ford V8 1½-Ton, Ford V8 1½-Ton, Ford V8 1½-Ton, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford L-Series Trucks, Ford L-Series Trucks, and Sterling A-Line, L-Line and Acterra)/(after-Ford Model TT, Ford Model TT, Ford Model AA, Ford Model AA, Ford Model BB, Ford Model BB, Ford COE, Ford-Dearborn Line COE, Ford COE, Ford COE, Ford COE, Ford COE, Ford COE, Ford COE, Ford C-900 Big Job, Ford C-900 Big Job, Ford C-900 Big Job, Ford C-900 Big Job, Ford F-Series COE, Ford F-Series COE, Ford F-900/F-1000 Super Duty, Ford F-Series COE, Ford N-Series Short-Conventional Trucks, Ford L-Series Trucks, Ford L-Series Trucks, and Sterling A-Line, L-Line and Acterra) generation of the Business Class developed entirely by Freightliner, the M2 replaced the FL-Series introduced in 1991. Serving as a Class 5-Class 8 product range, the M2 competes primarily against the International MV and the Ford F-650/F-750 Super Duty.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Berg, Tom. "'T-Line' Trucks Offered by Pennsylvania Builder". www.truckinginfo.com.
  2. Berg, Tom. "T-Line, Successor to Diamond T, Plans Return to Market". www.truckinginfo.com.