Mystery Truck

I've had this photo for a few months. Nobody can identify it. Chris Ritter posted it on the AACA Library page on Facebook; that didn't help. Several members of the American Truck Historical Society tried and failed. What we think is that it is a car converted to a truck. The photo supposedly dates from 1907 and came out of the New England area. Can anyone I.D. it?

I agree with those who suggest this is a converted automobile.

The pneumatic tires, and "fancy" horn, cowl lights, etc all suggest a touring car.

The truck box looks like a typical horse-drawn "express wagon" box of the period.

The hood / radiator / chain-drive should help ID this... my guess - Winton ?

1907 photo would mean the car is close to new. Why would a businessman pay for a new touring and then convert to a truck?

How about an early company that did cars and trucks? Something like White?

The front fenders seem to be car-like, and i have no idea if any trucks used that style front fender.

My take is that the rounded cowl is pretty unique but I'm still lost.

Is it the angle (or my imagination), but do the front wheels/tires look bigger than the back?

[EDIT] I just did a Google search for Wood Brothers Pianos and the first returned result was to the company website http://www.woodbrosmusic.com/History.htm. This same picture is shown there and the driver is Albert W. Wood (possibly a son of one of the 2 founders).

The website states it was the first piano delivery truck in Pittsfield, MA. You may want to check with the historical society there to see if they have any info.

Hi,

Passing thought: Pope Toledo cca 1905/6 ???

Regards

Vintman

It wasn't uncommon back then to have a touring car that the body could be removed easily and a truck body installed. I have just finished restoring my Grandfathers 1910 Mason that had two bodies and I have the manuals, two men, 20 minutes can change bodies. Made for the small business man that wanted a truck during the week and a touring car on Sunday. The chain drive and large hood would indicate this to be a large car chassis capable of carrying the weight of a piano. The coweling and treshold are very similar to my Mason and made to remove the body easily, Nothing attached to the body that has to be removed, not even the bulb horn. Some companies sold rolling chassis and the buyer could put any body on they wanted. I think that there was a beautiful touring body for this truck sitting back in the barn. RHL

1907 Pope-Toledo is the most plausible suggestion yet. In answer to an earlier comment I think the front wheels are enough closer to the camera to make them seem a little larger. Someone questined why they would convert a touring car to a delivery truck. Maybe their customers were a little higher up the ladder of success and this would make the business seem more high class. Just my idea. Incidentally I contacted the company (they are still in business) and they do not know the identity of the vehicle but they said they still have the sign board that was carried on the truck.

I was thinking that except for the rounded box at the rear of the running board, it looks an awful lot like a 1904 or 1905 Maxwell.

It's been pretty much forgotten how huge the piano industry was back in those days. When that picture was taken there was around 250 piano makers in this country and now I think there are four. In the Piano Trade Catalogs of the day there are many kits available to be able to haul a piano with about any vehicle a person might own. In fact, there is a guy up in Minneapolis that still uses one of them. I forget the name of it, but his Dad bought it new around 1920. Tom's Dad and Grandfather had a "route" of about 350 coin pianos that they serviced until the depression and juke boxes became the norm, and then nearly all the coin pianos and electric violins were abandoned or junked out. The one that Tom has sets on the rear of the vehicle (I forget just how it attaches) and then you push the piano up against it. It has three prongs that stick out kind of like what a fork-lift would have. When the lever is pulled the piano tips back about a foot and a half and you tie and down and you are in business! It's kind of funny to see in action, but they've been using it for almost 90 years now.. He has also put it on a two wheel trailer now so it has lights and is easier to manage. I'll bet there is also something in the "box" of the car in the photo that makes it possible for one person to load and unload the piano. You just can't see it in the photo.

Pope Hartford or Pope Toledo would be my guess.

On 10/29/2009 at 12:07 AM, john2dameron said:

I've had this photo for a few months. Nobody can identify it. Chris Ritter posted it on the AACA Library page on Facebook; that didn't help. Several members of the American Truck Historical Society tried and failed. What we think is that it is a car converted to a truck. The photo supposedly dates from 1907 and came out of the New England area. Can anyone I.D. it?

1907 Berkshire 35Hp Model D  

Manufacturer :
1904 Berkshire Motor Co.
1905 - 1907 Berkshire Automobile Co. - Pittsfield, Massachusetts.      
1908 - 1909 Berkshire Motor Car Co.     
1909 - 1912 Berkshire Auto-Car Co.     
1912 - 1912 Berkshire Motors Co.    
1912 - 1913 Belcher Engineering Co. - Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Nice catch Varun, you never disappoint me and always amaze me. Another awfully rare car. BTW, I haven't been able to find one existing on internet search.

@Gunsmoke https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/search?f[0]=mods_subject_topic_ms%3A"Berkshire Automobile Company"

Varun, thanks for references to some historic photo, I was pondering if any still survive.