As we start the 1960s, the current Autocar truck models were well on their way in popularity. White had purchased Autocar in 1953 yet Autocar trucks continued thru to the 1970s as part of the "Big Four" White brands. The Interstate Highway System was being expanded through the country in the '60s, but many roads were still rugged. The cure for many truckers was to buy an Autocar, highly regarded as a rough, tough and sturdy truck. Ron Adams picks out the best in his vast collection of Autocar truck photos, all the hardest working trucks hauling goods across America in the 1960s, one of the most interesting decades in trucking. Not only does Adams provide detailed information about the trucks, he doesn’t forget the trailers, trucking companies, and hauling configurations seen in the photographs.

Autocar’s roots go way back into the early 1900s and became known for tough and rugged trucks. When WWII came, very few trucks for civilian use were produced and by the end many trucks were worn out from constant use. After the war, civilian production began again in full force because of the lack of new trucks. In 1950, when Autocar introduced the new driver cab, the louver design was eliminated. The old style flat windshield sleeper cabs were used up until 1953 (the same year that Autocar was purchased by the White Motor Co.) when the new sleeper cab was introduced. Autocar became the top-of-the-line marque for White and marketing focused primarily on specialized applications, such as construction, logging, mining and oil industries. See the rest of the “World’s Finest” helping do their part to revive America in the 1950s.

White Motor Company was a major producer of American trucks between 1919 and 1980 with its primary manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, Ohio. The company began as a sewing machine manufacturing concern founded in 1876 by Thomas H. White and expanded by his sons into steam and gasoline-powered automobiles; however, it was in the trucking field that White made its mark. During its production years, White offered a broad array of light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks before concentrating on the latter from the 1960s on. In addition to its brand name, White purchased and/or marketed a number of other trucking manufacturers, including Reo, Diamond T, Diamond Reo, Autocar, Whitehorse, PDQ, Western Star, and White Freightliner trucks. White fell on hard financial times and declared bankruptcy in 1980. The named lived on for awhile in the 1980s under the parentage of corporate giant Volvo. This book reviews White medium and heavy-duty truck models in roughly the decade of the 1960s, including the 1500, 4000, 5000, 7400, and 9000 series.

This book follows on the heels of Big Rigs of the 1950s (0-7603-0978-7), which has proven popular with vintage truck fans. This book tackles a new era, the 1960s, providing views of the trucks that traveled America's highways during that decade. Photography again comes from the enormous archive of Ron Adams, author of Big Rigs of the 1950s, Mack Trucks, and 100 Years of Semi Trucks. Each prominent manufacturer receives its own chapter, and less prominent brands are also covered. Adams provides detailed information about the truck models pictured, as well as the trailers, trucking companies, and hauling configurations seen in the photographs.

Examining the development of the popular ½-ton American pickup truck during the 60s, this book includes the numerous new alternative designs and engineering approaches. This volume also contains specifications, industry facts and figures, and optional equipment, via detailed text and previously unpublished images.

For Kenworth, the 1950s were some of its most exciting years. A financial windfall started out the decade, with a special truck built for ARAMCO that became a standard at oil sites around the world. In the mid 1950s Kenworth began building trucks in Canada and developed a new design with the cab beside the engine, upping the cargo capacity by 1,000 pounds and offering greatly improved visibility for the driver. In 1956 the company became a subsidiary of the Pacific Car and Foundry Company and under new ownership the 900 model, with a lighter, shorter chassis, was introduced. And, in 1957 the first tilt cab over engine was introduced with easier access to the engine and transmission for servicing. See the huge variety of Kenworths moving goods to Americans at the start of boom times.

This book follows on the heels of Semi-Trucks of the 1950s. As the '50s saw new and improved models after the starved war years, the Sixties was the decade for expansion, not only for truck manufacturers with a huge selection of models, but also for the trucking companies themselves with more places to haul. Construction of the Interstate highway system helped pave the way for faster and smoother service, helping reshape the American landscape faster than ever seen before. Gear up for this outstanding selection of 1960s semi-truck photos by Ron Adams. Captions include detailed information about the trucks, trailers, and hauling configurations of a wide range of makers including Mack, Brockway, Autocar, Diamond T, Diamond Reo, Ford, White-Freightliner, GMC, International, Kenworth, and Peterbilt.

After WWII Americans were anxious to re-stoke the economy after a long “make-do with what you have” dry spell. By the 1950s new highways were being built, new trucking companies were being formed and old ones revived. Americans were buying newly-styled cars and the latest technologies once again. Semi-trucks helped pave the way for this huge growth spurt in America with dependable trucks built by Mack, GMC, Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, International, White Freightliner, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Diamond T, Reo, Autocar, Brockway, Sterling and others, many using the increasingly popular diesel engines made by Buda, Hercules, Waukesha, and Cummins, which helped their heavy loads haul quicker. Ron Adams portrays this booming era with over 300 superb photos of trucks hauling cement, fuel, and a variety of goods to enthusiastic Americans.

The success of International's 1950s semi-trucks continued into the 1960s. Many series were carried over from the 1950s, but International now offered more models in each series to make them more versatile. The pictures you see in this book mainly cover the bigger straight trucks and over-the-road and off-highway trucks; the popular trucks like the V series, R series, D-400, DCO-400, CO-4000, and the line of “stars,” to mention a few. As you look at them, enjoy and admire them, as many are long gone.