Iowa Museum celebrates 100-year-old Bulldog

On Jan. 9, 1916, a modest Mack AC three and a half ton, chain-drive truck was built, the first of its kind.

On Friday, July 15, 2016 a crowd of appreciative truck fans celebrated that particular truck during ceremonies at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, Iowa.

Museum Curator Dave Meier recounted the colorful history of this truck, which originally sold for $3,400 in 1916. During his presentation, Meier said the truck was originally purchased by the Boston Ice Company during the Boston Auto Show.

After being retired by the ice company, this Mack AC spent much of the rest of its life in one museum or another. It came to the Iowa 80 museum in 1981 having been purchased when Harrah’s auctioned off much of its collection.

A highlight of this truck history was trans-Atlantic sea voyage it made for the 60-mile London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in 1993.

The Mack AC model was built between 1916 and 1938, with a total production of 40,299. During World War I, 6,000 of them were sent abroad, and it was there Macks earned their “Bulldog” nickname.

The AC was powered by a 471 cubic inch Mack-built four cylinder engine that put out 76 horsepower and had a three-speed transmission.