JULY 2007 OLD TIME TRUCKS
Mack’s H-Model “Cherry Picker” Cabover
By John & Shirley Sponholtz

Willie, Gus and Jack Mack went from building wagons to building trucks in 1902. Their first vehicle was a sight-seeing bus built in Brooklyn, NY. In 1905 the company moved to Allentown, PA and began building trucks that ranged from three to five tons. Most of their early trucks were chain driven. Mack built chain driven trucks until 1950, and then introduced their A-Model and B-Model trucks, which were the staple of the Mack line into the mid 1960s. Mack also produced several cab-over-engine models powered by their new Thermodyne diesel engine. The 1962 Mack COE pictured here, officially designated as an H-Model, is more commonly known as the “Cherry Picker” because of its very tall cab. This H-67 is owned by James & Lynda Lashaway of Bowling Green, Ohio. The original owner lived in Detroit and used this truck to haul castings from GM’s central foundry. It is powered by a Mack 673 engine with a two-stick duplex transmission. Jim bought the low mileage Mack (only 350,000 miles) in 1987 and performed a frame-off restoration in 1994. Today, the truck hauls antique steam tractors to shows - and occasionally preens a little itself.