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杰伊·巴鲁切尔
基特·哈灵顿
西尔维斯特·史泰龙
迈克尔·法斯宾德The History Of The American 4x4
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History Of The American 4x4
of the enthusiasts viewing this website are four wheel drive (4x4) enthusiasts.
Have you ever wondered where the 4x4 originated in the United
States? I set out to research the origin of American built 4x4's and it
turned in to more of a project then I was anticipating. Depending on who
you talk to or what you read, there is a few different names that come up
as the creator of the 4x4.
is a break down of introductions of 4x4's based on the year introduced.
- Cotta Automobile Company - In
1901, Charles Cotta built the Cottamobile In Lanark, Illinois. He used a simple and thoroughly practical device
using chains by
which the power of the motor was applied equally and individually to each
of the four wheels, making each wheel a traction wheel. It was to be a
thoroughly reliable vehicle in all seasons and conditions of weather, a
feature not possessed of by any other vehicle on the market. The motive
power of the machine was steam, thus doing away with all the objectionable
noise that was so characteristic with the gasoline and electric vehicles.
Although Cotta began building the car in 1901, it wasn't completed until
Cotta Steamer also had four-wheel steering and a special type of
transmission with non-clashing gears. Cotta
advertised the cars through 1902 in magazines such as the Cycle and
Automobile Trade Journal, from which the ad below was taken.
1903, Cotta sold the designs and patents to the Milwaukee Four-Wheel Drive
Wagon Company, which built small numbers of 4x4 cars and trucks until
1907. Cotta went on to established the Cotta Transmission Company where he
designed and manufactured truck transmissions for many years. In the
1940's, Cotta began a shift to industrial products, off-highway and
construction vehicle markets. In the mid 1960's, Cotta added a line of
high-speed transmissions. Over
the years, Cotta diversified into various products including hydraulic
pumps and coal augers. Today – Cotta (with production facilities in
Beloit, Wisconsin) is a trusted, leading manufacturer of top-quality,
precision-engineered transmissions for a wide range of specialized mobile
and stationary applications: vocational trucks, defense, off-highway,
aerospace, heavy industry, well-drilling, mining, marine and more.Although
Cotta likely built the first four wheel drive car in the United States,
none are known to have actually been sold under the Cotta name.<font color="#04
- Couple Gear Freight Company -
Starting in 1904, the Couple Gear Freight Company of Grand Rapids,
Michigan, built four-wheel drive electric trucks with four-wheel steering
that could be operated independently. The trucks used a geared motor built
into the hub of the wheels. The setup was useful for maneuvering
loads into tight spots by going almost sideways. The trucks were built in
1, 2, and 5 ton capacities, and the top speed was 8 mph for the lighter
trucks and 6 mph for the 5 ton trucks. In 1908, a hybrid truck was built that
had a 4-cylinder gasoline generator, thus eliminating the batteries and
the transmission. Couple Gear remained in business
until 1922.
writing in the photo above states 'Couple Gear Truck, 5 Ton Capacity,
Gas-Electric Drive, Speed to 8 miles per hour, Sacramento General Stores'
<font color="#05
- Charles Van Winkle -
Van Winkle of San Joaquin, California, built a prototype 4x4 touring car
in 1905. His four-wheel drive concept used a single driven shaft that
connected the front and rear axles. Van Winkle sold the patents to the
newly formed Stockton Four Auto Drive Company in Stockton, California, but
the idea went nowhere. Van Winkle built two-wheel drive trucks in
in Atlanta, Georgia.
Van Winkle never sold 4x4's to the public.
- American Motor Truck Company -
1906, the American Motor Truck Company () built an experimental
chaindrive 4x4 truck with four-wheel steering. This vehicle, owned by
collector Wayne Coffman, is still in existence and shown below.
1911, the company marketed a line of similar 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 ton 4x4
trucks. Like the prototype, the axles were a platform type and pivoted in
the center, complete with springs. The trucks used horizontally opposed 2 or
4 cylinder engines of 20 to 60 hp and had top speeds from 8 to
15 MPH. The transmission was a two-speed, planetary design.
<font color="#06 - Duplex
Power Car - In 1906, Duplex Power Car of Charlotte Michigan offered a
3/4 Ton Model
B, 2-cylinder 14hp, 4x4 automobile.& Some believe the Duplex Power Car Company
was the first commercially
viable 4x4 in the United States. It's difficult to prove since Duplex's records were destroyed in a fire during the
1920s. Strangely enough, the
company eventually switched to building fire engines as Simon-Duplex.& The
first Duplex was the 3/4 ton Model B that was in production at least until
1909. After a two year production lapse, Duplex went back into production
in 1913 with a totally new design, The Model B (below top) used a 14hp,
2-cylinder engine mounted under the seat. The drive system used a
differential mounted atop a solid-beam axle. Shafts extended to an
internally toothed ring gear in the wheel, and a spur gear on the end of
the axleshaft drove the wheel. This drive setup was replaced by a more
conventional design by the time the 1919 truck (below bottom) rolled around.
stopped producing 4x4 trucks and went on to building fire truck
chassis's. This Saulsbury Class A pumper (above) was manufactured for the Telford
Fire Company in 1992. The apparatus is built on a Simon-Duplex chassis and
has a Hale pump. No, it's not four wheel drive.
Simon-Duplex
stopped making trucks somewhere in the 1990's.
- Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Co / FWD Co / FWD Seagrave -
In 1904, blacksmith Otto Zachow obtained a franchise to sell Reo cars.
While demonstrating the car, Zachow slipped off the road, and accidentally
discovered that the car had better traction in reverse. He decided that automobiles would not be practical
until their power was transmitted to all four wheels so their front
wheels could pull their hind wheels out of mudholes. Otto Zachow and his
brother-in-law, William Besserdich, built and tested a steam-powered 4x4
that broke new ground in America by debuting the first steerable,
integrated front driving axle. The vehicle was powered by a cross-compound
steam engine, but the drivetrain was very much like those we use today.
The first tests in October 1908 showed the value of the four-wheel drive
setup. The vehicle could negotiate the terrain the other three motor cars
in Clintonville, Wisconsin, dared not traverse. A
young local lawyer named Walter Olen helped Zachow patent his invention in
1909, the revamped Zachow/Besserdich creation became a force to be
reckoned with in automotive circles. With the steam plant replaced by a
45hp Continental four-cylinder and with a gorgeous red body installed,
this vehicle was the pinnacle of 4x4 performance for the day. Nicknamed
the Battleship because nothing could stop it, the vehicle was tested
extensively on the backroads around Clintonville. Zachow and Besserdich
teamed up to form the Badger Four Wheel Drive Auto Company and hoped to
offer America an automobile suitable for all types of weather and road.
Badger began the production on a line of 4x4 touring cars but ran into
business problems.1909
'Battleship' In 1910,
Walter Olen incorporated the company with him as president and changed the
name to the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company. Otto Zachow received a block of
stock. FWD sold their first vehicle in 1911. Their first car was a White
steamer fitted with Zachow's 4WD. A $1,000 prize was offered for any car
that could follow the Battleship cross-country for 15 minutes. Hundreds of
cars tried but none collected.&After
building only seven touring cars, FWD realized the market was not ripe for
such a vehicle but reckoned the truck market was ready for a 4x4. No
sooner had discussion begun when the company learned of a U.S. Army
cross-country test. At that time, the Army owned 12 trucks. Army
leadership was not sure about the new-fangled horseless carriages, but
nonetheless, a test was undertaken to determine the feasibility of their
use. FWD sweet-talked an Army representative, Captain A. E. Williams (seen
below standing in front of the car), to the factory for a test drive.As
a result, the Army purchased one of the FWD touring cars for the test. The
car was stripped of its rear body, a flatbed was added, and it was called
a 1-1/2 ton truck. The Scout Car, as it was later known, proved the
benefits of all-wheel drive by outperforming the other three surviving
trucks by a large margin on the eight-week 1,500-mile winter test early
in 1912. It spent most of its time dragging the other rigs though mudholes. About 1914 Zachow and Besserdich sold out for $25,000. That was a
mistake, for General Pershing had found several FWD trucks useful
while chasing &Poncho& Villa across Mexico. When War broke in
Europe, the Allies (British) began buying FWD trucks in quantity. When the U.
S. joined the war, the U. S. Army took over FWD's entire output. By
1918 it had bought 16,000 FWD. trucks, and spare parts equivalent to
14,000 additional trucks.&1916
Since the War, FWD
has thrived in the commercial field with an early cab-over-engine truck
and with such husky specialized products as snowplows, fire-engines and
machines capable of installing telephone poles in five minutes.
1958 the company's name was changed to simply FWD Corporation.
FWD Corporation is based in Clintonville,
Wisconsin with additional offices in Richmond, Virginia and Ontario,
FWD bought out Seagrave, the oldest continuous manufacturer of fire apparatus in North
America and brought the leader in the fire industry to Clintonville,
Wisconsin.&
Randolph W. Lenz moved into heavy-equipment manufacturing, buying the
assets of the FWD Corporation, a bankrupt manufacturer of snowplows and
fire trucks in Clintonville, Wisconsin.&
James Hebe later
joined a group of private investors managed through Ballamor Capital
Management Inc. to buy the assets of Seagrave Fire Apparatus LLC and its
parent company, FWD Corp., from Corsta Corp. in 2003, becoming CEO of the
company. The company is now FWD Seagrave.
2004, FWD Seagrave acquired Schmidt Equipment & Engineering, which
makes snowplows. FWD Seagrave felt that the acquisition of the snowplow
company was a chance to reintroduce the four-wheel drive, heavy-duty
chassis. They intend to develop a chassis and snow-removal equipment line
that complements and expands what they now offers.
makes the Wausau and Snogo brands of heavy-duty snowplows and snowblowers
used by municipalities and airports. Founded in 1978, the New Berlin
company is the largest maker of airport snow-removal equipment in the
snow clearance equipment, fire apparatus, heavy haulage trucks and 4x4
special purpose vehicles are available from the FWD Seagrave.
FWD Seagrave Chassis (No, it's not four wheel drive!)
- Walter Truck Company / KOVATCH Mobile Equipment Corporation (KME) -
specialized from the outset in 4x4 trucks. Its founder was William Walter,
a Swiss engineer who emigrated to New York in 1883. He began by making
confectionery machinery, but in 1898 turned his talents to motor cars. The
first Walter truck was made in 1909, and this formed the basis for his
first 4x4 of 1911. The early trucks had a dashboard radiator and
&coal scuttle'' bonnet (hood) reminiscent of the old Renault and
Latil designs. It used a spur-and-ring gear-axle
design similar to the early Duplex and the later Jeffery/Nash Quad. Some
conventional rear-wheel drive versions were also built.
1920 Walter built its own gasoline engines, but later used Waukesha units.
The heaviest truck went up to 7 tons payload. By the mid 1920s the trucks
began to take on their distinctive snout with the front axle set back
under the cab - a Walter trademark for much of its history. In 1929 the
first Snow Fighter snow-clearance truck was launched, and during the 1930s
the company diversified into specialized fire appliances, concrete trucks,
articulated dump trucks and logging outfits. Some 4x4 medium artillery
tractors were supplied to the army during World War II. Over the past five
decades Walter has remained a major force in the specialized all-wheel
drive market, building a wide range of snowplows, crash tenders and
similar machines, some with power ratings up to 540bhp.
Walter Corporation was located in Guilderland Center, New York and was
eventually bought by The Kovatch
Organization. Kovatch produces fire apparatus, runway snowplows and fuel delivery
Walter Truck
Island MacArthur Airport Walter snow plow from the 1970's
KFE Airport
Crash Truck
<font color="#13
- Thomas B Jeffrey Company - In
1913, the Thomas B. Jeffery Company debuted a prototype four-wheel-drive,
four-wheel-steer 2 ton truck it called the Quad. The truck went into
production in 1914, and with WWI just beginning in Europe, it was just in
time to be snapped up by the British, French, and Russian armies as well
as by the U.S. Army in small numbers. In 1916, the Thomas B. Jeffery
Company was sold to Nash, and the Quad became the Nash Quad. It was built
and sold in large numbers during WWI, but sales trickled after 1919,and
the Quad went out of production in 1928. Shown below is a 1919 Nash-built
<font color="#18
- Oshkosh Motor Truck Company -
In 1917, the Oshkosh Motor Truck Company was formed out of the Wisconsin
Duplex company that had begun earlier. The two founders were none other
than William Besserdich, one of the founders of FWD, and Bernhard Mosling,
also lately of FWD. Their first 4x4, nicknamed Old Betsy, was an advanced
design, featuring pneumatic tires and an automatic locking center
differential. Oshkosh built a number of trucks in the 1 to 3 ton range
into the 1920s, but it eventually specialized in really big all-wheel-drive
trucks and has prospered to the present day. Old Betsy has survived and is
shown in the top of the following photo, and the Oshkosh Model A is shown in
the bottom of the following photo. When it debuted in 1918, the Model A was
the most advanced production 4x4 truck in the world.
Oshkosh Dump)Today,
Oshkosh still produces heavy duty 4x4 trucks such as this Heavy Equipment
Transporter shown below. Oshkosh Corporation is a leading manufacturer and
marketer of specialty vehicles and bodies reporting in four primary
business groups: Access Equipment, Defense, Fire & Emergency and
Commercial.
Oshkosh Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET))
<font color="#31 -
Walter Marmon & Arthur Herrington
formed Marmon-Herrington. To
start, they built 1-1/2 ton trucks of their own design.&
1936, the Indianapolis based Marmon-Herrington company jumpstarted the
light truck 4x4 industry by converting a Ford half-ton truck to four-wheel
drive. Marmon-Herrington (M-H) began converting Ford trucks to 4x4 in 1935
rather than building their own from the ground up. They specialized in 4x4
and 6x6 trucks of 1-1/2 ton and larger and even built half-track military
request from the Belgian government in 1936 planted the idea of converting
light trucks to four-wheel drive. At the time, there were no 4x4 trucks
under 1-1/2-tons being built, but the Belgian military felt a need and
already owned a number of Ford built trucks, including M-H conversions.
Chief Engineer Bob Wallace found the idea doable and purchased a used 1935 Ford
1/2 ton from a nearby used car lot, made the conversion, and
by July of 1936, the truck had been very successfully tested on the King
Ranch in Texas. It’s capability blew everyone away and that performance
standard remained unbeaten until the first jeeps debuted in 1940.
1937, M-H offered conversions of many Ford light trucks and even certain
car models, including woody station wagons. The conversion was done at the
factory in Indianapolis, ironically the old Duesenburg factory. You
ordered a truck from your local Ford dealer and it was shipped to Indy for
the conversion.&
late 1930s was Marmon- Herrington’s heyday. By 1940, the bigger truck
manufacturers, most notably Dodge, had entered the light 4x4 market for
the war effort. M-H was simply too small to compete with the bigger dogs
and though they carried on with light truck conversions until the early 1960s, they never could compete with “The Big Three” once they got on
the band wagon.&
Ford 1-1/2 Ton 4X4 Marmon-Herrington Conversion
many other of the old timers, Marmon-Herrington remains in business, still
converting trucks to four-wheel drive. These days, they do only the big
stuff for specialty commercial markets. That goes right back to one of
their founder’s, Colonel Arthur Herrington’s original mandate.
Marmon-Herrington
Today - Above & Below
1934 - Dodge
Brothers - In 1934, Dodge built
its first 4x4 truck in the form of the K39x4USA. This 1-1/2 ton
truck used the standard 1934 Dodge truck line as a basis but featured a
Timken-built front axle and transfer case. This Timken transfer case was
the first to offer a part-time position for the transfer case and let the
front axle freewheel. A similar truck was made in 1938
and called the RF-40x-4USA. Both trucks were very successful and put Dodge
on the 4x4 map. It was the first 4 wheel drive in which the driver could
shift into and out of 4 wheel drive mode using a shift lever inside the
Dodge 1-1/2 ton cargo truck
also built 4WD 1-1/2-ton military cargo trucks in
and 1940. The
government then decided they preferred to have Dodge build light-duty 4WD
trucks and contracted for a series of half-ton trucks. The 1940 VC Series
trucks used the civilian truck's front end sheet metal and carried various
body types. A total of 4,641 VCs were produced. They performed excellently
and convinced the Army they were on the right track.
were replaced in 1941 with the WC Series half-ton trucks. This series
featured military front sheet metal. A total of almost 78,000 WC half-tons
were built in several body styles. These trucks were a decided improvement
over the VC Series but nevertheless the Army still felt they were lacking.
engineers returned to the drawing boards and developed the -ton WC
Series trucks. These trucks had a lower silhouette, were wider, more
powerful, heavier and offered in a broader range of body types. After
intensive testing the Army approved them for mass production. A total of
225,196 trucks of all body types were produced for WWII.
civilian Power Wagon was introduced in 1946. It was based on the 3/4-ton
Army truck's chassis with a civilian cab and a purpose designed 8-foot
cargo box. It rode on a 126-inch wheelbase chassis and featured the 230
cubic-inch flat head six engine, a two-speed transfer case, a 4-speed
transmission with a power take off opening which would send power to the
front and back of the truck for operating auxiliary equipment and big
9.00/16-8 ply tires on 16X6.50 inch 5-stud wheels. The nominal one-ton
rated Power Wagon's maximum GVW rating was 8,700 pounds. Its maximum
payload was 3,000 pounds.
Dodge Power WagonToday,
Dodge is still producing a variety of 4-Wheel Drive trucks.
Dodge Ram Max Cab
<font face="Arial" size="3" color="#35 -
General Motors Truck Company (GMC) -
truck first appeared in 1912 following an earlier takeover of two pioneer
truck manufacturers - Rapid and Reliance. In 1936, GMC introduced a prototype 1-1/2 ton 4x4 military truck called the 4772. It was
the first of a line of heavier trucks that dominated the front lines of
WWII. In 1936, GMC
provided the first 187 1-1/2 ton 4x4 military trucks to the U.S.
Army.&(In 1915, the
fledgling General Motors Truck Company built an experimental 4x4 version of
its 2-ton truck but didn't mass produce it.)
1939 - The ACK-101
was GMC's entrance into the light-duty 4x4 wars of the late 1930's. While a
good truck, it was not successful in beating out Dodge for the big 1/2 ton
4x4 military contract of 1940. GMC didn't suffer, building some 500,000
trucks for WWII.During
World War II General Motors was a primary supplier of military vehicles to
U.S. and Allied governments, contributing much support to the war effort.
The most outstanding of those vehicles were the GMC model CCKW350 series,
2-1/2 ton 6x6 trucks (called the “Deuce-and-a-half” by GIs). From 1940
through 1945 GMC built over 528,000 6x6 military trucks, most of which
were CCKW350s.
GMC CCKW335
Motor Company -
4x4's - Ford's GC 1/2 ton truck program definitely predated the company's
GP 1/4 ton developments. It probably also predated Bantam's 1/4 ton idea,
because the competition for the 1/2 ton contract started as early as 1939.
Ford unsuccessfully entered several 1/2 ton prototypes in two body styles,
including pickups and a command car. A 1-1/2 ton cargo truck was also
produced. Some were fitted with the then-new 226ci flathead six, and
others had the quintessential Ford flathead V-8.
United States was drawn into World War II on December 7, 1941, shortly
after Ford's 1942 models were introduced. The order was given to stop
production of civilian vehicles on February 10, 1942, so assembly plants
could be converted to producing war materiel.From
the time the plants closed through to the end of the war, Ford
concentrated its efforts into building B-24 L aircraft
Jeep-ty and military
versions of the 1942-era pickup trucks, cars, and heavy-duty trucks.
JP with 4-Wheel Steering
The 1959 model
year was the first time Ford built light truck 4x4s in-house. Up to that
point, they were farmed out to Marmon-Herrington (M-H) for conversion
using a Dana 44
closed knuckle front axle.
Ford is still producing 4x4 Trucks and has been the best selling truck for
31-years.&
<font color="#40 -
American Bantam -& In
September 1940, Bantam introduced the first 1/4 ton 4x4 to the Army. Built
of a hodgepodge of outside-sourced parts and Bantam car leftovers, it set
a new standard for 4x4 performance. The Army went ape. Later to be known as
the Jeep, this type of vehicle broke new ground in the 4x4 world and
started the general public on a love affair that has carried on to this
day. Although Bantam only produced a little more than 2,600 similar 1/4
before being pushed aside by Willys, Ford, and the U.S. government, it is
the true originator of this class of vehicle.
NAPCO (Northwestern Auto Parts Company) -
date that NAPCO started to produce 4x4 conversion units is a little foggy.&
There are stories of GM trucks being converted as early as late 1949,
but the earliest documented truck known of is a 1951
Chevy 3/4 ton owned by Butch Gehrig of Odell, Oregon. Until October 28th
of 1954, when Chevrolet introduced the 1955 1st Series, all the conversions
were done on 3/4 ton and larger trucks.& The 1954 and earlier Advance
Design 1/2 ton models were not suitable for a NAPCO conversion due to the
enclosed drive shaft design.& GMC and Chevrolet conversions were by
far the most popular, though conversions were available for Ford,
Studebaker and other manufacturers.NAPCO reached an agreement with both GMC and Chevrolet to supply them with
the Powr-Pak conversion kits, and GMC began to produce 4x4 trucks on the
factory assembly line (using NAPCO components) starting in 1956, with
Chevrolet following suite in 1957.&&By the end of 1957 both GMC
and Chevrolet trucks could be ordered from the factory with the NAPCO Powr-Pak
conversion.&The
first 'All GM' factory 4x4's were introduced in 1960 when both Chevrolet and GMC went to a totally new chassis.& NAPCO and its
conversion were left out of the equation due to the introduction of GM's
completely redesigned truck line featuring independent front suspension on
the two wheel drive trucks and a 4-wheel drive specific chassis on the
4-wheel drive trucks.& This was the beginning of the end for the 4x4
conversion element of NAPCO.& Though they did produce conversion kits
for a few more years, their main business shifted to the heavier trucks,
1-1/2 ton and larger.&&
the huge loss of the contracts with GMC and Chevrolet to supply conversion
packages, NAPCO sold the rights to the Powr-Pak package to the DANA
Corporation.& All
documentation, archives, information and parts were transferred to DANA at
that time.& During this evolution, the association of the NAPCO name
with 4x4's ceased to exist.& The NAPCO 4x4 had vanished, just as it's
associated history, archives and NOS parts supplies were absorbed into
1958 NAPCO GMC
Suburban<font color="#56
GMC Trucks / 1957 Chevy Trucks - In 1956, GMC started building
4x4 trucks on the assembly lines using NAPCO components. Chevrolet
followed in 1957 releasing their first production 4x4 pickups in 1/2, 3/4 and
1 ton sizes. Prior to this, these trucks had 4x4 conversions done by NAPCO
in which the trucks were sent out for a NAPCO Powr-Pak 4x4 conversion and
then returned.&The
first 'All GM' factory 4x4's were introduced in 1960 when both
Chevy and GMC went to a totally new chassis.& NAPCO and its Powr-Pak
conversion were left out of the equation due to the introduction of GM's
completely redesigned truck line featuring independent front suspension on
the two wheel drive trucks and a 4-wheel drive specific chassis on the
4-wheel drive trucks.
GMC and Chevrolet still build and sell 4x4 trucks with GMC promoting their
trucks as Professional Grade.
who first built the 4x4 in the United States?&We
may not know for sure.&It
seems there were many people experimenting with the concept. American Motor Truck Company
and Duplex Power Car both started producing and selling 4x4's around 1906,
but there isn't any clear record as to who was first.&Otto Zachow
tested and built a 4x4 with his
brother-in-law, William Besserdich and patented it in 1908. They would
build the FWD Corporation and Besserdich would later leave to form Oshkosh
Motor truck Company in 1917. While both companies would survive, Oshkosh
is still a very strong company producing some impressive heavy duty 4x4's.
Oshkosh is probably the longest producer of 4x4's in the United States.The
nod for the first producer of 1/2 ton 4x4 trucks would go to Marmon
Herrington and the 1937+ Fords.The
first factory (assembly line) built 1/2 ton trucks sold to the public
would have to go GMC in 1956, Chevrolet in 1957, and Ford in 1959.&&&&&&
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