1934 Diamond T JXB 2-Door Pickup Truck
2024.0037.0001, Generously donated by Deer Run Investments, LLC, M. Douglas, and V. Kay Ivester
Engine: 228 cu. in. (3.7L) Hercules JXB, 6-cylinder
Output: 68 HP @ 1,000 RPM
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
Wheelbase: Unknown
Overall Length: 212 in.
Manufacturer: Diamond T
Founded in 1905 by C.A. Tilt, the son of a successful shoe manufacturer, the company’s initial focus was automobiles. Their logo, a diamond encapsulating a capital “T,” was appropriated from the shoe company. The diamond stands for value and quality, and the “T” stands for Tilt, the founder’s last name. A request from an already satisfied Diamond T car owner and plumbing goods supplier, L. Wolff, changed the company’s direction. Would they build a truck for him?
C.A. Tilt answered “Yes”, and “Old No. 1” was the first Diamond T truck. Advertising his vehicle as “The handsomest truck in America”, Tilt believed trucks should be good-looking. Innovations such as enclosed truck cabs, electric lights, pneumatic tire options, and stylish body designs helped Diamond T weather the Depression. Taken over by White in 1954, a merger with Reo in 1967 formed Diamond Reo. White sold that brand off in 1971.