MARCH 2009 OLD TIME TRUCKS
THE “EMERYVILLE” CABOVERS
By John & Shirley Sponholtz
The International Harvester Company has a long and varied history. The company officially began in 1902 but actually goes back to 1840 when Cyrus McCormick began producing grain reapers. In 1947 the company opened a facility in Emeryville, California to produce trucks. In the 1950s, the company introduced cabovers that were tall and narrow with a rounded hood. The VCO model had a V-8 gasoline engine and the DCO had a diesel engine. These trucks boasted many firsts, including hinged fenders and tilting cabs. The truck in this photo is a 1964 DCO 405 “Emeryville” (the nickname that these rigs were given). This truck, which has a 250 Cummins engine, only has 119,000 miles on the odometer! After changing hands several times, the truck ended up with Bob Newton of Cambridge City, Indiana. The day Bob bought the truck, his friend Cole Williams offered to buy it for $500 over what he had just paid. Bob turned him down. Over time, Bob worked on the truck and Cole kept trying to buy it. These negotiations continued for nine years until Cole bought the truck in 2002. In 2006, when Cole decided to restore the truck, he put in two batteries and some fuel and it started immediately. The restoration included some body work, new brakes, new wheels and tires, fresh paint, and a new interior. Bob and Cole are still the best of friends, but I’m pretty sure that “negotiations” regarding the old cabover are ongoing.