The Clydesdale Motor Truck Company

The Clydesdale Motor Truck Company existed in Clyde, Ohio, from 1917 until 1939. As veterans of the early auto industry, Clydesdale engineers worked closely with the London General Omnibus Company to develop what they described as the “perfect” truck chassis. Shipped from Clyde, Ohio, Clydesdale trucks became internationally famous during World War I. The truck’s patented “Driver Under the Hood” engine governor wowed drivers and industry leaders alike. Following the war, Clydesdale took center stage at national motor truck shows and motor truck tours, and later, pioneered diesel technology. The story of the Clydesdale company provides a window into early truck manufacturing and the international trucking landscape, just as the modern industry we recognize today was beginning to develop.

Tiffany Willey Middleton is a Clyde, Ohio, native and historian. She works for the American Bar Association and lives in Chicago, Illinois.
James M. Semon is retired from American Greetings and Henkel Consumer Adhesives. He is a transportation enthusiast and author of several railroad books. He lives in Westlake, Ohio.

Tiffany Willey Middleton and James M. Semon
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 296
Bibliographic Info: 250 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7587-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1394-9
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Foreword by Shirley Sponholtz  1

Preface and Acknowledgments  5

Timeline of Clydesdale Motor Truck Company  7

1. The Crucible of War (1917–1919)  11

2. What Makes a Clydesdale?  42

3. Business Is Booming (1919–1922)  106

4. New Directions (1922–1932)  164

5. The Diesel Experiment (1932–1939)  193

6. Winding Up Affairs (1939–1943)  228

Epilogue  231

How I Learned About Clydesdale Trucks by James M. Semon  237

Appendix A: U.S. Patent #1117759 for Engine Governor  243

Appendix B: Clydesdale Motor Truck Specifications  251

Appendix C: Export Packing and Shipping Guide  271

Chapter Notes  273

Bibliography  281

Index  283

Center for Archival Collections Local History Publication Award—Bowling Green State University
“fascinating…a quality work of history”—Hemmings Motor News; “historians are lucky in that Middleton and Semon made sure that the part Clydesdale trucks played in our national history will not be forgotten”—Antique Automobile; “impressive…there is plenty to devour”—Old Cars Weekly; “Middleton and Semon obviously put a great amount of research in this history”—SAH Journal.