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Beschreibung
This particular truck was sold new in Sweden by the general agent Huzells Bil in Karlstad and was registered in 1938. It was fitted with a Swedish-built cab manufactured by Tranås Vagnfabrik AB. American factory cabs were rarely used on trucks in Sweden during the 1930s, mainly because of freight costs, import duties and the Swedish climate.
The truck was equipped with a hydraulic three-way tipper body, which was something of a novelty in 1937. It then remained in use in Kristinehamn with one, or possibly two, owners until the 1960s, when it was taken out of service.
From what can be gathered from copies of documents held by the Swedish National Archives, the truck was one of the relatively few vehicles that initially received a limited allocation of the strictly rationed petrol during the Second World War.
After being retired in the 1960s, the truck was stored in a barn, where it remained until 1982. It was then purchased at an estate auction by an enthusiastic gentleman named Kurt Walfridsson. The purchase received considerable attention in the local press, as Diamond T trucks were already very rare by that time.
Mr Walfridsson approached the restoration with great care and replaced anything that did not meet his standards. Because the truck was in relatively poor condition, it had to be completely dismantled down to nuts and bolts before being rebuilt from the ground up. As a result, the restoration took ten years to complete.
Nothing was left to chance. Everything from the timber-framed cab to the engine and tipper body was restored. The engine was rebuilt at a vocational training school in Torsby.
To source missing parts, an old EPA tractor built from a Diamond T truck was also acquired. Great care was taken not to use modern replacement parts unnecessarily, with original components being restored wherever possible. For example, the fittings and locks on the restored tipper sideboards are original items from 1937.
By the beginning of the 1990s, the restoration was complete, and the truck was re-registered in the Swedish vehicle register in September 1990. It has been used sparingly ever since.
In 1991, the truck was invited to take part in Scania’s 100th anniversary celebrations, when more than 200 meticulously restored historic vehicles gathered in Södertälje. Participants came from Sweden, the other Nordic countries, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. Vehicles taking part received a special commemorative plaque, which is still mounted on the dashboard. See picture.
Kurt Walfridsson passed away in 2008, and the truck is now owned by relatives of the late restorer. As it is no longer being used, the family has decided to offer it for sale at auction.
Included with the truck is a spare wheel, mounted at the rear in its holder beneath the frame, together with a number of period curiosities stored beneath the seats in the cab and various documentation relating to the restoration, as well as copies of the old registration documents.
There is one ignition key and one key for the fuel cap. The keys for the door locks are missing. The original English-language owner’s manual is included.
At the end of the picture gallery, there are newspaper clippings about the truck and its restoration. The restorer himself can be seen sitting on the bumper in the black-and-white photograph.
In 2012, the truck was also featured in the magazine Klassiska Lastbilar, which published a four-page article about it.
Kostenlose Historie (5)
Teknische Daten
Beurteilung Fahrzeugzustand
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Zustand technisch
Equipped with a straight-six side-valve Hercules engine producing 85 hp, paired with a four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox. The engine was rebuilt at a vocational school during the 1980s and runs smoothly and evenly.
These old 6-volt systems can make you think the engine will never start. The fan barely moves as the starter turns the engine over very slowly. But once a little fuel reaches the cylinders, the engine fires and starts. See the video. This starting procedure is therefore entirely normal for the vehicle.
The truck should, however, be fitted with a larger 6-volt starter battery. The battery currently installed is a standard type more commonly used in passenger cars of the period. The larger truck battery had failed after many years in storage, so one of the first tasks for the next owner should be to source the correct type of battery, simply to ensure reliable starting.
The truck is fitted with a hydraulic tipper system. According to the information provided, it is the same equipment that was fitted when the vehicle was delivered, and the hydraulic system was overhauled in the 1980s.
During a test of the tipper body, we noticed a small amount of oil leaking from the right-hand tipping cylinder. This should most likely be remedied by replacing the seals. See picture.
The hydraulic system consists of a mechanically driven hydraulic pump activated via a power take-off. The valve controlling the pressure to the tipping cylinders is integrated with the hydraulic pump, making the system compact and relatively simple.
Everything functioned during testing. -
Zustand Interieur
Restored cab. The seat is upholstered in genuine leather and has not been restored; it is the same seat that was fitted when the truck was dismantled in the 1980s. It may possibly be the original seat from 1937, although this cannot be confirmed.
The instruments have been attractively restored, and everything functions as it should. -
Zustand Exterieur
Completely dismantled, restored and rebuilt during the 1980s. The paintwork dates from the same period and has held up well over the years. There are a few minor marks and the occasional scratch. A polish would bring out even more of the shine.
The undersides of the front wings are also still in very good condition. They were painted underneath and were not coated with underseal after the restoration, simply because it was not considered necessary.
Unfortunately, there are some paint blisters caused by spray filler, something that seems to have been fairly common with restorations carried out during the 1980s. This is most noticeable on the panel between the windscreen and the bonnet. Please study the pictures carefully. -
Zustand gesamt
A well-restored Diamond T truck, completed in 1990 and always stored indoors. There are a few minor points to note, but it is quite possibly the finest example of its kind in Sweden.
Fahrzeugangeben vom Kraftfahrzeugbundesamt
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1990-07-12 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1990-09-17
Senast godkända besiktning: -
Besiktigad tom: -
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Nej
Antal ägare: 2
Fakten zum Modell
In the late 1940s, the company was acquired by White, which also absorbed Autocar, Reo and several other smaller manufacturers. Within the White group, Diamond T continued to produce its own models until 1967, when it was merged with Reo to form the Diamond-Reo Trucks Division.
A little background on American trucks in Sweden during the 1930s and 1940s: Diamond T had already been sold in Sweden since the 1920s. Sales continued until the late 1940s, when volumes became very small. The Swedish general agent was Huzells Bil AB in Karlstad.
Some sales figures for Diamond T in Sweden were:
1937: 113 units, 1938: 164, 1939: 98, 1940: 15, 1946: 9 and 1947: 63. In addition, a smaller number of bus chassis were sold.
For comparison, 88 Reo trucks were sold in Sweden between 1937 and 1940. In 1946, 34 were sold, followed by 148 in 1947. White was far less common: only one was sold in 1939, three in 1946 and 22 in 1947.
Lagerort und Info zur Besichtigung
For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:
Mathias Casserlund
mathias.casserlund@bilwebauctions.se
Abholung
NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.
Auktionsinfo
General information about the condition of the vehicles .
- At this auction, many vehicles have been included in car collections and have been stored (mothballed) for a long time. For this reason, they are described from a collector's perspective and may need technical reviews and maintenance service - oil, battery replacement, new tires, brake review, etc. - before they can be used. .
- During the auction days information about a vehicle may be updated up to the day before the auction ends. When you bid at the end of the auction period - and also if you have made an earlier bid - we therefore ask you to read the descriptions carefully, in case something has been changed due to new information.
Important to know before placing your bids!
- Once you have called in an item and the reservation price is reached we want you to deposit the entire purchase amount into our client funds account before retrieval can take place.
- When you need to retrieve a called in object we want you to examine it carefully. If you consider that the item does not match our description you do not need to complete the purchase. In this case the deposited purchase sum and the entry fee are refunded.
- If you do not examine the item on the spot the call charge will be debited, but you do not have to complete the deal.
- If you make the entire purchase exclusively at a distance you have 14 days to cancel, but must return the item at your own expense.
- Your shipping costs and other costs are not reimbursed when the right of withdrawal is exercised. Swedish court applies.
- For items that have not been collected within 14 days storage costs may be charged.