Mack turns to diesel power

There were so many truck manufacturers in the 1930s – including strong regional players — that sorting out any sort of marketshare leadership standings must’ve been maddening for CCJ editors. Still, in terms of national brand awareness and sales figures, Mack was at the top of the heap by any reckoning.

 By 1939, Mack was nearly 40 years old with an absolutely stellar reputation for quality and durability. Tough little Mack ACs had made the company’s name on the battlefields of World War I, where British soldiers dubbed them “Bulldogs” – a testament to their dependability as well as their distinctive sub-nosed front ends.

 Another war was looming. And soon enough Macks would find themselves in combat zones all around the world. But, in 1939, the company was touting the launch of its first diesel truck engine and establishing a powertrain legacy that is still going strong today.