Feature Truck for Winter 1998:  1939 Peterbilt

The predecessor to Peterbilt was the Fageol Truck Company, with a factory located in Oakland, California.  Fageol had been a pioneer truck manufacturer, building trucks for the western market.  The West with its big mountains and timber industry needed a different kind of truck than those produced in the eastern part of the country.

The Fageol Truck Company was never very profitable and was eventually sold to Sterling in 1938.  The plant was closed down until a lumber man from Tacoma, Washington, named Peterman became concerned about where he could find good trucks.  Peterman had been using Fageol trucks with good results.  Peterman bought the factory and started building the Peterbilt truck in 1939.  The Peterbilt truck developed into one of the leaders in the heavy duty western truck market.  Kenworth, Freightliner, and Peterbilt are now the standards for the large truck market in the West.

The 1939 Peterbilt featured here is a Model 260GD, serial number L179.  It has the aluminum grill work that was used for only one year.  The grill was very susceptible to breakage and was not practical.  The engine is a HB6 150 horse power Cummins along with a 4-speed Brown-Lipe main and 3-speed auxiliary transmission.  It also has a Timken double reduction rear axle and air brakes.  Notice the signal arm on the driver's side which could be raised to indicate a turn.  This very rare truck is displayed alongside the 1938 Fageol so that one can easily see the similarities and differences between the two makes.

A.W. (Pop) Hays used to tell this interesting story.  In 1939, Pop Hays, while visiting the old Fageol plant to purchase parts for his Fageols, was asked by one of the salesmen he knew to take a look at something.  The salesman took Pop into the factory where he saw what was said to be the first Peterbilt.   According to Pop Hays, he promptly took out his checkbook and bought that Peterbilt, serial number L101, on the spot.

-by Don L. Hays

Museum Director