Traffic Motor Truck Corporation

The Traffic Motor Truck Corporation (TMTC) was a St. Louis truck manufacturer from 1917 to 1929. It used Continental engines chiefly, and sometimes Gray Victory engines. The company was based at 5200 North Second Street. Guy C. Wilson was TMTC's president and Theodore C. Brandle was its vice president. Stephen W. Avery was the company's advertising manager.

Company officers

Theodore C. Brandle

TMTC's vice president, Theodore C. Brandle, was the son of Charles and Belle Brandle. He was born in St. Louis on February 2, 1894. He taught school teacher for 4 years (1910-1914), following which he began working for the Bell Telephone Company, then took a job at an automobile repair shop, and later that same year founded Westcott Motor Sales Company. After changing the company's name to Brandle Motor Company, he sold it to automobile giant Chevrolet. He married in 1917. The same year he became involved with Guy C. Wilson and Harry P. Mammen, and the three of them founded TMTC.[1]

Guy C. Wilson

Wilson was born on May 1, 1878 in Christian County, Kentucky. He worked in the railway industry until 1904 when he switched to insurance. Having had considerable success in the insurance industry he retired in 1915 to focus on the automobile industry. He became vice-president of the Brandle Motor Company.[1]

Harry P. Mammen

Harry P. Mammen, was the general sales manager for the Westcott Motor Car Company of Springfield, Ohio. In 1917 he joined with Brandle and Wilson to form the Traffic Motor Truck Corporation.[1]

2 Ton

Produced in 1918 with prices starting at $1,195, rising to $1,395 in 1919, $1,495 in 1920 and $1,595 by late 1920[2][3][4] (respectively as of 2016: $18,832, $19,072, $17,689 and $18,872). The truck was sold virtually as a rolling chassis with an engine and seat. The advertisement described the truck as being able to cover 14 miles in an hour with a 4,000lb load. It had a 4-cylinder 40hp 239 cubic inch overhead valve Continental Red Seal engine, Covert transmission, Borg and Beck disk clutch, Kingston magneto with impulse starter, Russel rear axle with internal gear and roller bearings, standard Fisk tyres, 133 inch wheel base, and an oil cup lubricating system. Production was said to be one every 45 minutes.[5][6] The trucks were also exported to such places and Guatemala and El Salvador.[7]

The 1921 advertisement stated the Tip Top Bottling Company of St Louis had bought 9. The Breen Monument Co of St. Louis also used one of these truck in its business.[8]

Other models

In 1922 1 1/2 ton, 3-ton, and 4-ton models were introduced. A sales letter dated 17 June 1922 cited the available models being a 6,000lb heavy transport for $1,995 and a Speedboy for $1,695.00.[9] Both of these models used Continental Motors with Bosch magneto's.

Merger

In July 1922 the company merged with Associated Motor Industries, which made several makes of automobile and trucks. Traffic's Wilson and Brandle were appointed to Associated's Board. The plan was to continue making Traffic Trucks as well as some of Associated's automobiles at the Traffic Motor Truck manufacturing plant in St Louis.[10] Traffic trucks were also to be assembled at Associated's plants in Boston, Indianapolis, Louisville and Oakland.

Associated owned the Kentucky Wagon Manufacturing Company, which made the Jackson four-wheel drive truck, and the Old Hickory truck. They also made Jackson, Dixie Flyer, and National automobiles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stevens, Walter B. (1921). Centennial History of Missouri (Deluxe Supplement). Vol. I. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing. pp. 316–318. OCLC 2041310.
  2. ↑ Saturday Evening Post advertisement 1919 http://www.flickr.com/photos/14024074@N05/8535990551/in/photostream/
  3. ↑ Advertisement, Saturday Evening Post,date unknown 1920, page 107 http://www.flickr.com/photos/14024074@N05/8535989463/in/photostream/
  4. ↑ Advertisement, Saturday Evening Post, date unknown, 1921, page 95 http://www.flickr.com/photos/14024074@N05/8535989463/in/photostream/
  5. ↑ 1919 Traffic Truck Motor Corporation advertisement, source not stated
  6. ↑ Advertisement, Saturday Evening Post, Oct 25, 1919, page 84
  7. ↑ Traffic Truck is helping railroads, The SouthEast Missourian, 21 October 1919, page 2
  8. ↑ Motor Truck in the Monument Business - What Retail Monument Dealers Think of the Efficiency of Motor Transportation for Memorial Work, Granite Marble & Bronze, Vol. XXXI, No. 1, January 1921, pages 32-33
  9. ↑ E R Paston, Sales Department, Traffic Motor Truck Corporation letter dated 17 June 1922 to Rydzy Garage Co, Michigan
  10. ↑ $80,000,000 merger of auto companies, The New York Times, 2 July 1922 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E17FD3B5D14738DDDAB0894DF405B828EF1D3

External links

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