Christian manz
In 1922, the chief engineer of the company «Anderson Carriage Co.» Detroit, which sold electric vehicles under the trade name of Detroit electric from 1909, he devised a small van for the local distribution of milk. To understand the importance of this, you have to know that in the United States milk is distributed daily directly to homes.
With this home service, it is not surprising that a vehicle capable of carrying out its work by simplifying its handling for the driver was sought. Engineer George Bacon devised a van that allowed it to be driven from four different positions: from the front, from the rear, or from both sides.
After different tests, the technicians came to the conclusion that an electric version did not seem the most suitable for this type of work; the day was long and the load heavy, two factors that do not favor electric traction. Bacon then met with several investors, created the company "Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company" (DIVCO) and installed an engine The king of gasoline, carrying out exhaustive tests in 1924. In 1926 the first Divco was introduced on the market, finally powered by an engine Continental four-cylinder and one transmission Warner four-speed.
What at first seemed easier to do with a gasoline engine, had its drawbacks at the moment of truth, since a vehicle that constantly braked and accelerated required a costly evolution of its components; reinforced brakes and a special clutch for such uses, solutions not so easy and quite expensive in those years. Divco had to seek new investments to perfect its van. But the company went ahead, and, although with many restructurings, it survived until 1986.
In those XNUMXs Divco was not the only company. There was also the "Ward Motor Vehicles" of the province of New York, one of the greats in the supply of electric vans and trucks, in force on the market since 1910. At the beginning of the XNUMXs it prepared a special version for the supply of milk, based on its renowned models, capable of loading from half a ton to seven. The model was well suited to its role.
With the Pac Kar the most minimalist van was created
In Indianapolis, the "Package Car Corporation" was created, offering its Pak-Age-Car, also called Pac Kar, a light vehicle that was intended to replace the horse carriages, which in many American provinces had been responsible for supplying the houses.
A smaller van was nearly impossible to create. The company developed a very compact motor-shaft unit, mounted at the rear and, in fact, easily removable for maintenance or replacement. It had the 7 hp two-cylinder engine with all its components, the clutch, the transmission and its axle, along with the suspension, wheels and tires. If the van got stuck, this set could be changed in as little as 15 minutes.
The Package Car Corporation announced that it was offering light delivery at a minimum cost, never achieved in this type of transport. The van had a very minimalist look: its front axle came out of a totally vertical front, flanked by two small headlights, and a split and vertical windshield.
This model totally lacked rounded parts. The interior was very spartan, with a steering wheel in the center and two levers. Concluding that a driver who distributes a product from house to house will not have time to sit down, this van was driven standing up. There was no seat, not even a drop-down seat, and there were no doors. The ground was completely flat, and the driver could exit from both his right and left.
In advertising, Package compared his van to a horse-drawn carriage, convinced that it had all the advantages: it was more agile, more economical to use and maintain, and it did not require a large investment either.
The problem was the same as always: with a single basic product on offer, the company could not survive. In 1932 the Package Car Corporation was acquired by one of the great American brands, Stutz, known for its succulent automobiles. Stutz engineers slightly changed the design of the van, somewhat larger and less spartan, and installed a more powerful engine from the house of Hercules.
Months later, they opted to offer sliding doors and a steeper windshield. In 1938 the concept was sold to the "Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg" consortium, formerly known for its large automobiles, which during the last three years of its commercial life again transformed the Pak-Age, equipping it with a four-cylinder engine. lycoming.
Auburn partnered with the company "Diamond T" - one of the largest in the world of trucks - for the distribution and maintenance of the small van, mainly due to its own liquidity problems and lack of distributors. Even so, they sold more than 3.500 units, the last with the Diamond T emblem.
For its part, in 1933, the American truck manufacturer Brockway, on the market since 1912, decided to expand its production with electric vehicles from one to seven tons of payload, along with a new heavyweight, which was fitted with a 12-cylinder engine American La France 240 hp, the most powerful truck of the time.
Its range of electric vehicles was based on three models, which featured interchangeable parts and components with gasoline-powered trucks. In addition, while the conventional models were manufactured in Cortland, for the electric ones a plant was prepared in New York City, with the idea of producing in the vicinity of its potential clientele, the entities of the great city.
Electric thrusters came from General Electric the smallest, and Westinghouse the largest; its clients were distributors, from the distribution of milk to bread, or the collection and delivery of garments, among other items. But as it happens so many times in history, While there is ample information on trucks with gasoline engines, little has been rescued from the production of electric engines, although it was somewhat successful.
Another manufacturer was "Marmon-Herrington", a large American company created in 1931 to prepare all-wheel drive versions of vans and trucks of different brands, mainly to transform them into military vehicles. Marmon-Herrington also created powerful tractor units with up to six-wheel drive for pulling large trailers.
I mean, everything but something tiny. Well, after having transformed different models Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, GMC and others, in 1945 he created an independent department to manufacture a light van suitable for delivery service with its many stops.
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Delivr-All and Pony Express, what names!
The so-called Deliver-All, Supplied in two sizes, they featured front-wheel drive and an easily removable motor-axle-flywheel unit at the front, similar to the Pak-Age but in reverse. These vehicles were in production until 1952.
They stood out for their unique design, with the protruding front part to locate the engine and axle well, sliding doors and a completely flat floor that facilitated the entry and exit of the driver. They used four-cylinder engines and 60 HP of power from Willys Jeep, which transmitted its power through a double reduction to the front wheels. That is, the three-speed gearbox could be doubled: six gears for the front and two for the rear.
Another brand trying to use the small delivery van market as a good business outlet was "Fageol" from Ohio. From 1916 involved in business with automobiles and tractors to in the twenties dedicating himself to the truck in general, Fageol invented in 1921 his safety coach (safe coach), with a low chassis between large wheels with wide axles, which was enormously successful mainly due to its easy accessibility.
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In 1927 the "Twin Coach" company was created, which was dedicated to the production of a forward cabin bus and two petrol engines under the ground; and that later it would expand production with vans and vans, also with an advanced cabin. Despite all this modernity, which attracted a lot of attention in the markets, in 1939 Fageol had to close its doors.
In 1950 the Fageol brothers came back to the fray with a new idea, creating a special truck concept for transporting furniture using "International" mechanical parts. Its uniqueness was the wide lightweight body and the forward cab, which left plenty of room for cargo.
A few years later, they launched a unique delivery micro van called pony express. Initially designed and intended for the delivery and collection of mail in rural areas and outside the cities, other entrepreneurs saw the great advantages of this compact model for small distribution in the city.
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It had two sliding doors and a position at the wheel a little further back than usual, so that the driver could easily exit from either side. The second side window could be fully opened and, in addition, it was located at the height of people's mailboxes, so that mail could be delivered without having to leave the vehicle.
The 58hp four-cylinder engine was mounted above the front axle, with easy access to parts requiring maintenance. Despite the very good solutions applied to this micro-van, the company had to close its facilities again in 1954.
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