Mack - Danish Army Vehicles Homepage

Mack

The start of Mack truck´s can be traced back to 1893 when Jack Mack and brother Augustus F. Mack purchases the Fallesen & Berry factory. William C. Mack, who had operated a wagon-building plant in Scranton, PA, joins his brothers in the business in 1894. Carriage-making is phased-out, and the brothers focus on wagons. At about this time, the Mack brothers starts experimenting with steam and electric motor cars.
John Mack had already spent years researching and experimenting with his own design for a motorized wagon by the time he and his brothers opened their first truck manufacturing plant in 1900. The work paid off the same year, when the brothers introduced their first vehicle -- a 40-horsepower, 20-passenger bus.
The brothers were also doing automotive repairs at this time.
Mack Brothers Company is incorporated in New York with John M., Augustus F., and William C. Mack as the directors.
In 1905 Allentown, Pennsylvania was chosen as the home of the main manufacturing operations of the new Mack Brothers Motor Car Company.
Mack was one of the first manufacturers to mount a cab directly over the engine, which increased driver visibility and maneuverability, particularly on crowded city streets. The "Manhattan" cab-over-engine model was introduced in 1905.
Mack built rail cars and locomotives from 1905 until 1930. In the period 1951 through 1954, the company built 40 forward control diesel rail cars.
The Junior model, a light-weight 1-1/2 ton truck was introduced in 1909. Where the Mack Senior truck was right-hand chain drive, the Junior was left-hand chain drive.
In 1910 the "Manhattan" trade name is dropped, and trucks begin carrying "Mack" nameplate.
The Manhattan Motor Truck Company was incorporated in Massachusetts to operate several dealerships in that state.
In August of 1911, the brothers sold the company, and the new owners continued operation as the International Motor Company - a holding company for the Mack Brothers Motor Car Company and the Saurer Motor Company, another truck manufacturer which had a plant in Plainfield, New Jersey. The two truck manufacturing companies continue as distinct organizations, but the selling and servicing of Mack and Saurer trucks is combined as a distinct function of the holding company.
The International Motor Company’s size increased in 1912 with the addition of the Hewitt Motor Company, a New York City based builder of highly engineered motor trucks.
John and Joseph Mack, who’d been directors of the International Motor Company, leave.
The Hewitt nameplate was discontinued in 1914.
The Manhattan Motor Truck Company (which ran the Mack branches in New England) becomes the Mack Motor Truck Company.
The Mack AB was the company’s first standardized, high volume model series, introduced in 1914. The first ABs had chain drive or worm drive. In 1920, a dual reduction drive was added.
The AC model was introduced in 1916. With its chain drive rear axle, the AC model earned a reputation for reliability and durability. The AC model was manufactured continuously through 1939, 24 years, and 40,299 were built.
Even before World War I, Mack had established an international reputation. Many British military trucks were built by Mack, and one Mack AC truck was built as a military armored car for the New York National Guard. Many more of this model were purchased by the U.S. Army. Adopted as the standard 5-ton truck, 4,470 Mack AC trucks went to France with American doughboys.
The AC Mack truck, with its blunt, bulldog-like snub-nose bonnet, became a rugged durable performer on the battlefields of Europe. The ACs resembled Bulldogs not only in performance but also in appearance, and hence became known as "the Bulldog Macks." This characterization grew to encompass all Mack products, and in 1922 the company adopted the Bulldog as its corporate symbol.
A new holding company, the International Motor Truck Corporation, was formed; it assumed the notes payable obligations of the International Motor Company and owned 98 percent of its stock. The International Motor Company, through its ownership of the Mack Brothers Motor Car Company, the Saurer Motor Company, and the Hewitt Motor Company, became the operating organization, with its main plants in Allentown, PA (Mack), Plainfield, NJ (Saurer), and Brooklyn, NY (Hewitt).
The International Motor Company also owned the International Mack Motor Corporation, which had been set up in December 1915 to run most of the company-owned branches. However, by the end of World War I, the title of this company was changed to the Mack-International Motor Truck Corporation.
In 1920, Mack pioneered the use of power brakes on trucks by using a vacuum-booster system.
In 1922 the title of the parent company was changed from International Motor Truck Corporation to Mack Trucks, Incorporated. This change in title was basically made to identify the corporate name more closely with the company's product and lessen any misidentification of Mack products with those of a competitor, the International Harvester Company. The International Motor Company continues as the manufacturing subsidiary of Mack Trucks, Inc. until 1936.
Also in 1922, the company adopted the Bulldog as its corporate symbol. During World War I, Mack delivered approximately 4,500 AC model trucks of 3-1/2, 5-1/2, and 7-1/2 ton capacity to the US government. During that same period, Mack delivered over 2,000 units to Great Britain.
During the years from 1929 until 1944, Mack produced 2,601 semi- or full trailers.
The name of the International Motor Company was changed to the Mack Manufacturing Corporation in 1936.
In 1938, Mack became the first truck manufacturer to design and build its own heavy-duty diesel engines, establishing the tradition of "balanced design" (in which the integration of the powertrain and vehicle design maximize performance) that continues today.
Mack was a major military contractor on a much larger scale in World War II, with more specialized products. Mack trucks served the Allied forces 30,000 strong in that second conflict, in the form of prime movers, personnel carriers, wrecker trucks, tank transporters, and more.
The Mack AP model was Mack's first off-highway vehicle. From 1926 through 1938, 285 of this units were built.
The Mack L series heavy-duty trucks of the 1940-1956 era exhibited clean, timeless styling and proved popular. Certain models in this series combined many aluminum components with the more powerful engines to satisfy the long distance hauling needs of West Coast operators. Some 35,000 Mack L models graced the highways in their day.
In 1953 "International" was dropped from the title of the main Mack sales organization; henceforth, the Mack Motor Truck Corporation handled the branch operations in the continental United States, except in New England, where the Mack Motor Truck Company operated as before.
Mack changed the titles of its manufacturing and sales subsidiaries to Mack Trucks, Inc. in 1956.
Same year Mack Trucks, Inc. purchased Brockway Motor company. Brockway ceased production in 1977.
Mack Trucks, Inc. became a member of the Signal Oil and Gas Company, a Los Angeles based petroleum company in 1967. In August that year Mack Trucks, Inc. officially became a member of a growing industrial family, The Signal Companies, Inc.
New Mack World Headquarters opened in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1975.
In 1979 Renault took a 10 percent share in Mack Trucks, Inc.
In 1982 Renault increases its holdings to 20 percent and Signal reduces its holdings in Mack by 10 percent.
When Mack Trucks, Inc. again became a public corporation in 1983 with a public offering of 15.7 million shares of Mack Trucks, Inc. common stock, closer ties had been established with Renault. These ties originated when the two organizations negotiated in 1977 regarding the distribution of a medium-duty diesel truck series in North America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean. Renault and Mack forged a working partnership with the successful introduction of the Mack Mid-Liner™ series in 1979, studying many of the key issues facing both companies on a global basis.
Renault increased holdings to 40 percent and Signal holdings were reduced to 10.3 percent.
The commercial vehicle division of Renault, Renault V.I., went through a financial reorganization, and bought out the Mack shares from its parent company in 1987.
Mack Trucks, Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Renault V.I. in 1990 Today, the company is one of North America's largest producers of heavy-duty diesel trucks, in addition to major product components, and is an integral member of the worldwide Renault Group.
On December 18, 2000 the United States Department of Justice approved the acquisition of Mack by AB Volvo, Sweden.