Truck Shop
Well-known member
What was the first year Freightliner produced a Conventional? After a few guesses I will post the answer with photos and info.
Truck Shop
Truck Shop
Freightliner built trucks to be light which gave into other areas such as strength. The problem with most of the COE's was the rivets above the grill would get loose andI came up with '74 as my answer too. Interesting story on the prototypes.
Those first regular production models were stout trucks, looks like it was the same cab as the cabover with a hood out front. I also read that Daimler/Benz bought the the company and I think that must be when the trucks became less rugged. The company I drove for rented a couple in the late 80s or early 90s over the holidays and they were junk in my opinion, very flimsy. In fact I remember one of the trucks, less than a year old, had one of the interior panels fall off while we had it. And RATTLE????? Learned real quick why they were called FreightShakers!!
White took over sales and service in 1951. And later on Freightliner went back on their own till Dameler got mixed up in it. That's why I find this truck so odd. At that timeDoes anybody know the story behind why they went from White Freightliner to just Freightliner? I don't remember, but it must coincide with seeing White trucks as well. A corparate split I imagine.
I'm kinda revisiting a few threads today, and I'm thinking White was left off the nameplate because White wasn't putting any money into Freightliner's R&D work.White took over sales and service in 1951. And later on Freightliner went back on their own till Dameler got mixed up in it. That's why I find this truck so odd. At that time
White should have been included in the name plate or badge.
Truck Shop
White owned Autocar for several years, 60's thru the early 80's. Then Volvo got their mitt's on it because they bought White. You can still buy a new AutocarI have a question for you all, was Autocar ever affiliated with White Motors? The cabs and dash look identical in the trucks from the 70s, and the White Construcktor looked an awful lot like an Autocar.
IIRC there was actually 2 versions of that cab White used in the 60's, a taller version for the west coast long haulers and a shorter, possibly slightly narrower version for the east coast. I may just be full of it though, But I think Frieghtliner did the same with their cabovers in the 60's and 70's.White owned Autocar for several years, 60's thru the early 80's. Then Volvo got their mitt's on it because they bought White. You can still buy a new Autocar
so long as all you want to haul is garbage. Autocar is the oldest truck brand still being built. The cab was built in Kelowna, BC. and used buy Diamond T,
Western Star, White, Hayes and Autocar and a few others.
Truck Shop
White was more of a partnership with Freightliner and had thrown in a pile of money to get Freightliner off the ground. White had the controlling interest untilI'm kinda revisiting a few threads today, and I'm thinking White was left off the nameplate because White wasn't putting any money into Freightliner's R&D work.
The reason I mentioned the west/east coast differences was an article in the "Wheels of Time" ATHS magazine years back discussing the Edgecomb? steel company's stainless steel Autocars. IIRC it was mentioned there was a size difference in the cabs. And I have seen 2 1974 White Frieghtliners side by side that were obviously different sized cabs, one was a day cab with single headlights and the other was a sleeper cab with dual headlights, the day cab had a plain flat narrow grille and was a bit lower in height than the other. The east/west thing was the explanation I got from the owner of both trucks. I would love to get a chance to go back and actually measure them.It's been said west coast truck drivers are taller than east coast drivers, but In all my years I have never seen a taller Kelowna made cab nor Freightliner. And checking
through many books there is also nothing said about it. I would like to see one.
Truck Shop