(Photos by Joe Grippo) – Yesterday we told you that we wold have more images from the awesome Allentown, Pennsylvania Mack truck welcome center and we were not lying. Joe Grippo recently hit the place up and snapped photos like you would not believe. Mack is one of the strongest brands in American history. Founded by the Mack brothers in 1900 on the basis of a sight seeing bus, the company grew and evolved. By the time WWI started Macks were known as the toughest trucks in the country and they got that way by constant design improvement and innovation.
The company ‘s ever-present bulldog mascot was coined during WWI when British soldiers called the trucks the “Bulldog Macks” as a compliment to the truck’s strength and capability. The British Bulldog was (and continues to be) a point of pride for the country. Throughout their history trucks that ran a full compliment of Mack parts (engine, transmission) got a gold bulldog on the hood and those that had a different engine or transmission got a chrome plated bulldog. The jokes and trucker lingo involving those dogs are far beyond what we can print here. Funny as Hell though!
In these photos you will see that early bus, you will see engines, transmissions, amazing B-models and lots more. Grip crushed it!
Click on the photos to expand them and the use the arrow keys to scroll through –
Really nice place.
THIS weekend(June 16 & 17) is the Macungie Truck Show. That is always a great show. Hundreds of trucks from very small to super huge will be there.
Plus they give FREE tours of the Mack assembly plant a few miles up the road while the show is going on.
If you’re into trucks you need to put this show on your calendar.