Feature Truck for Fall 1997:  1921 Old Reliable

In the early days of trucking, manufacturers had trouble convincing skeptical farmers and businessmen that trucks were better than horses and wagons.  Some manufacturers tried to boost sales by using names that conveyed images of strength and reliability, such as Mogul, Titan, Clydesdale, Giant, and Strenuous Randolph.  Another example was the Old Reliable truck made in Chicago, Illinois beginning in 1911.

This month's featured truck is a 1921 Old Reliable Model B 2-1/2 ton cab and chassis.  The Old Reliable was assembled from components supplied by several other companies.  This example has a Wisconsin 4-cylinder engine, a Fuller 4-speed transmission and a Sheldon worm gear rear axle.  Tires are solid rubber mounted on wood spoke wheels.  The chassis weighs 5,850 pounds, about the same as a modern 1-ton pickup.  It sold originally for $3,250.

A great many truck manufacturers went broke during the Great Depression.  The Old Reliable Motor Truck Company didn't even make it that far, and was out of business by 1928.

-by Ed Roberts

HATM Research Department