Frequently Asked Questions about Classic Diamond T

Who founded Diamond T, and when?

Charles Arthur Tilt, usually known as C.A. Tilt, founded the Diamond T Motor Car Company in Chicago in 1905. Tilt was the son of a shoe manufacturer. As the company name suggests, Diamond T began as a builder of passenger cars, and only later turned to the trucks for which the marque became known.

What does the Diamond T name mean?

The Diamond T name came from the Tilt family's shoe business. The trademark originated with founder C.A. Tilt's father, a shoe manufacturer, and showed a T framed by a diamond, with the diamond standing for quality and the T for Tilt.

Did Diamond T make cars before it made trucks?

Yes. Diamond T built passenger cars in Chicago from 1905 to 1911, before it made any trucks. In 1911 a customer asked C.A. Tilt to build a truck, and the result, known as Old No. 1, was the first Diamond T truck. Car production ended that year and the company concentrated on trucks from then on.

Where were Diamond T trucks built?

Diamond T trucks were built in Chicago for most of the marque's life. After the White Motor Company bought the firm, production moved from Chicago to Reo's plant in Lansing, Michigan. Sources date the move to either 1960 or 1961. The last Diamond T trucks were assembled in Lansing.

What was the Diamond T Model 201?

The Model 201 was Diamond T's one-ton light truck, built from 1938 through 1949. It was offered as a pickup, panel delivery or stake truck and used a Hercules six-cylinder engine, with postwar examples carrying a 236-cubic-inch L-head six rated at 91 horsepower. Beginning in 1951, Diamond T limited production to heavy-duty trucks.

What did Diamond T build during World War II?

Diamond T stopped building commercial trucks in 1942 to concentrate on military production, and its wartime output included 4-ton 6x6 trucks, 12-ton tank transporter tractors and half-tracks. The Model 980 and 981 tractor, designed to a British requirement and in production from 1941, was designated M20 and pulled the M9 trailer to move tanks. The Model 969 wrecker used the 4-ton 6x6 chassis.

What happened to Diamond T?

The White Motor Company bought Diamond T in 1958, and Diamond T production ended in 1966. In 1967 White merged Diamond T with Reo, which it also owned, to form Diamond Reo. White sold Diamond Reo in 1971. That company later went bankrupt, with sources giving either December 1974 or 1975 for the failure.

Why was Diamond T called the "Cadillac of trucks"?

Diamond T was often called the "Cadillac of trucks," a nickname that marque histories and auction catalogs link to its styling. Founder C.A. Tilt believed a work truck should also look good and advertised his products as "The handsomest truck in America." One enthusiast history points to the flowing fender lines, bold grilles and raked cabs of the trucks as the features that made them easy to recognize.