Chicago International Trucks history

Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper in 1830-31; it could do the work previously done by a number of men using scythes.

At the age of twenty-two, McCormick invented a better reaper for harvesting grain, and patented it three years later, in 1834.

But the Panic of 1837 drove his business into bankruptcy, and he spent the next seven years paying off debts.

Cyrus Hall McCormick, a Virginia inventor of plows and reapers, decided to move to Chicago in 1847, when he and his partner Charles M. Gray built a reaper factory on the north bank of the Chicago River.

After the original plant burned in the 1871 fire, McCormick built a larger factory along the South Branch of the Chicago River.

Meanwhile, William Deering—a veteran dry-goods wholesaler who had been doing business in Maine and New York—had established a rival harvester factory at Plano, Illinois, southwest of the big city; in 1880, Deering moved his factory to Chicago.

Cyrus’s brother Leander sold out to Cyrus, Jr. and his mother for $3.5 million around 1890.

1898--Winton builds the first United States truck in Cleveland.

Since 1899, the year after the first American truck appeared (a Winton from Cleveland), at least 88 companies in Chicago and its environs have gone into the business of building trucks.

One of the most successful was Magnus Hendrickson, a self-taught Swedish engineer and bicycle builder who wound up in Chicago in 1900.

Jacob Lauth & Co., a tannery, hired him in 1903 to build some vehicles, and Hendrickson designed hollow-spoked wheels and three-speed transmissions.

Began producing and trucks in 1907 and is still one of the industry biggies.

1908--Ten companies formed in Chicago to build trucks, including Diamond T.

Additional production space, better production facilities and introduction of the progressive assembly line permitted an increase in production to 2,465 Auto Wagons by 1909.

By 1910, when IH grossed about $100 million in annual sales, it had over 17,000 workers in the Chicago area, making it the leading employer in the region.

The Henry Lee Power Co. in 1911 decided to build a 3-ton motor truck and named it Old Reliable.

The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. introduced its Little Giant in 1912 but the venture lasted only six years.

In 1913 he left Lauth-Juergens Motor Co., as it was called, to start Hendrickson Motor Truck Co.

By 1915, with motor trucks beginning to emerge as an important factor in the transportation industry, production was switched to a limited “line” of new trucks.

It was one of these that on June 14, 1916, became the first truck to scale Pike’s Peak.

In 1917, the International Harvester was larger than General Electric, General Motors, and Ford, and as large as all other farm implement competitors combined together.

Started building trucks in Winthrop Harbor; moved to Kenosha in 1918.

Here it designed and built the first pneumatic-tired “speed” trucks, so named because they offered higher speeds to match the road-building progress of the 1920’s.

In 1921, it converted its Springfield, Ohio, plant to motor truck production.

The company built its first school bus in 1922 on an IHC S-Series truck chassis.

That they were mechanically efficient is attested to by the statements of an owner who in 1923 still was using an Auto Wagon for everyday hauling, although it had travelled more than 20,000 miles.

“The greatest single improvement ever made on a motor truck engine” – removable, wet cylinder sleeves were introduced to the industry by IHC in 1924.

Specialization also reached new heights for International during the period as evidenced by a 1925 advertising brochure entitled “Foiling the Payroll Thug” and describing the 100 armored International trucks built for Brinks Express Company.

The 1928 IHC Six-Speed Special was the first truck equipped with a two-speed rear axle.

The new one was located near Phoenix, Ariz. It also was shortly after the war that a second truck proving ground was built to complement test facilities established at Fort Wayne in 1929.

In 1931, IHC was chosen as the exclusive supplier of trucks for the construction of the Hoover Dam.

IHC also introduced its C-Series of trucks in 1933.

The company developed and introduced another technological innovation in 1934.

Another significant move in International truck history was made in 1937 when construction was started at Indianapolis, Ind., on a plant to manufacture truck engines.

Maintaining its leadership in providing trucks “built to the job”, the company in 1938 brought forth the first International trucks with Metro bodies.

After production began in 1939, this plant grew to be the world’s largest facility devoted exclusively to truck engine manufacture.

The “modern” era in International truck history, following the ‘30’s when the “C’ and “D” lines were produced, was entered in 1940 when the company introduced its K-line.

A company with the bizarre name of Pak-Age Car Corp. built more than 3,500 delivery vans under several corporate owners until the line was discontinued in 1941.

Beginning early in 1942, IHC converted its production facilities to the effort to help the United States and its allies win World War II.

In 1944, the motor truck division of International Harvester Company was formed to handle the growing volume of International truck engineering, production and sales activities.

In 1946, the company began production of another new line of highly specialized trucks at a new plant in Emeryville, Calif.

The first postwar line was designated the KB-line and appeared in 1947 – the anniversary of 40 years of International trucks.

1950--Tractor-trailer (semitrailer) begins to catch on and trucks capture 16 percent (as measured in ton miles) of intercity freight market.

In 1952 the company opened its large and complete truck engineering building and laboratory in Fort Wayne.

The V series range of heavy-duty high-power trucks was introduced in 1953 and used the same cab as the R series.

In 1954, a CO-line of cab-over-engine heavy-duty trucks was introduced whose shorter dimensions allowed the accommodation of longer legal trailers and bodies.

And in 1955, the S-line of light, medium and heavy-duty trucks made its first appearance.

In 1956 the company unwrapped its V-line trucks featuring three new V-8 truck-type engines, designed and built specifically for heavy-duty operation.

The year 1957 brought the 50th anniversary of the company’s entrance into the field of motor truck manufacture, and the milestone was marked with the appearance of two new lines.

"Chicago was quite a truck town," reminisced Paul R. Gordon, 91, retired sales manager for Diamond T Motor Car Co., a Chicago truck builder until the company was merged out of existence in 1958.

The following year, 1959, International placed its B-line on the market.

Another record was set in 1960 when sales of International trucks, parts and service totalled $766 million, or 45.5 per cent of company business.

Then in 1961, the all-purpose Scout and the C-line were introduced.

The Loadstar was typically a medium-duty short-hood truck that was introduced in 1962.

However, it began as a tilt-cab cab-over LoadStar in 1963.

The last truck bearing the Diamond T name was built by Reo in Lansing in 1966.

However, the CO-4000 was only in production for four years; it was replaced by the TranStar-series of cab-over-engine models in 1968.

The cab, "butterfly" hood, and grey grill were the same as featured on the Loadstar, but in 1969, a one-piece tilting hood became standard.

In 1970 the cab was widened and the truck was given its new name.

The cab-over-engine models were later replaced by the Cargostar in 1971.

The Paystar came into the market in 1972 and used the same cab as the Transtar 4200/4300.

The low-cab version was discontinued in 1974 and replaced by the raised cab CO4070B Transtar II.

IHC discontinued the manufacture and sale of most of its passenger and light-duty truck models in 1975.

The truck had modern styling and came with a new, wider cab that remained in service until 1976.

The S series was designed to replace and broaden the Loadstar and Fleetstar lines in 1977.

The family-owned Hendrickson Motor Truck Co. was a major builder of specialty trucks until it was sold in 1978 to John Boler of Boler Industries, who then sold the truck operation to a Michigan company that makes HME trucks.

By late 1979, IHC’s fortunes began to decline, precipitated by a devastating labor strike, as well as a downturn in the global economy and increasing competition.

Following long-running negotiations, International Harvester sold selected assets of its agricultural products division to Tenneco, Inc. on November 26, 1984.

In 1985 Tenneco acquired the major assets of International Harvester's Farm Equipment Division.

By 1986, most of what had been International Harvester became Navistar International Corp.

The 8000 Series of heavy-duty semi-tractors was introduced in 1987 and used S Series cabs with low-profile hoods.

1998--Truck manufacturers expected to sell 230,000 new heavy and 120,000 new medium trucks.