Autocar Company

Autocar Company Inc.

File:AutocarLogo.png
Company type	Private subsidiary of GVW Group, LLC
Industry	Commercial vehicles
Founded	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. (October 21, 1897 (1897-10-21))
Headquarters	Birmingham, Alabama , United States
Key people	Andrew Taitz (chairman) James (Jimmy) Jonhson (president)
Products	Severe Duty Class 7 & 8 truck chassis and Terminal Tractors
Website	autocartruck.com

The Autocar Company is a U.S.-based manufacturer specializing in severe-duty vocational trucks within Class 7 and Class 8 categories, with its headquarters situated in Birmingham, Alabama. Established in Pittsburgh in October 1897, initially producing early Brass Era automobiles and trucks from 1899 onward, Autocar holds the distinction as the longest-standing motor vehicle brand in the Western Hemisphere.

By 1911, the company discontinued passenger car manufacturing to concentrate solely on heavy-duty truck production. In 1953, Autocar was acquired by White Motor Corporation, which positioned it as their flagship brand for premium industrial heavy trucks. Following White’s acquisition by Volvo Trucks of Sweden in 1981, Autocar continued operations as an independent division. The company regained full independence after being bought by GVW Group, LLC in 2001. Presently, Autocar offers four models of custom-built heavy-duty trucks and maintains leading market shares across various vocational sectors.

History

Initially incorporated as the Pittsburgh Motor Vehicle Company in 1897, the enterprise was renamed The Autocar Company in 1899 when it relocated to Ardmore, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. Early offerings included the "Pittsburgher" automobile. By 1907, the firm had fully transitioned to commercial vehicle production, ceasing passenger car lines. The Autocar name continues to be active today within the commercial truck manufacturing industry.

Documentation from board meetings between 1903 and 1907 reveals that key leadership comprised president Louis S. Clarke and secretary John S. Clarke—both brothers renowned for their influential roles within prominent industrial networks of that period.

Founder

Louis Semple Clarke (1867–1957), the founder of Autocar, was an innovative mechanical engineer and entrepreneur. He pioneered several automotive advancements such as the porcelain-insulated spark plug, an enhanced drive shaft mechanism, and the first practical engine oil circulation system. Clarke also established the now-standard left-hand driver seating position and created the Autocar thread specification that became a U.S. industry benchmark.

Clarke divested his ownership stake in Autocar in 1929 before retiring. He died in Palm Beach, Florida in 1957 and is interred at Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Products

Clarke’s initial vehicle experiments began in 1897 with the "Autocar No. 1" tricycle—now preserved at the Smithsonian Institution. By 1899, Autocar introduced North America’s first commercially available motor truck. The year 1900 saw production of a single-cylinder chain-drive runabout with approximately 27 units manufactured. In 1901, Autocar unveiled North America’s first shaft-driven automobile, also retained by the Smithsonian.

The 1904 model featured a four-passenger tonneau body powered by an 11-horsepower flat twin engine—a unique choice compared to common inline engines—and incorporated a three-speed transmission. Early vehicles used tiller steering; however, by 1905 wheel steering and left-hand driving were implemented. Prices varied between $1,000 and $2,250 depending on specifications.

Between 1905 and 1907, production expanded to include several models such as the Type X runabout along with authorized large-scale manufacturing of Types XV through XVII. In 1906, Harry A. Gillis was appointed general manager with an annual salary of $10,000 to support company growth.

From 1907 forward, Autocar concentrated exclusively on commercial vehicles which soon became its primary output. By 1911, production focused solely on trucks with capacities starting at one-and-a-half tons and featuring progressively longer wheelbases powered by inline engines.

During World War I, chassis manufactured by Autocar were utilized for Canadian armored vehicles. Although sales declined sharply during the Great Depression—from roughly 3,300 units sold in 1929 to about 1,000 in 1932—the company recovered by the mid-1930s with larger trucks equipped with "Blue Streak" gasoline engines alongside Cummins diesel powerplants.

In World War II, Autocar significantly increased military vehicle production delivering approximately 50,000 units including half-tracks such as M2 and M3 models—exceeding its entire prewar production total of around 70,000 units. The company ranked eighty-fifth among U.S. firms based on military contract values during this period. After the war ended, civilian truck manufacturing resumed strongly supported by a dealer network surpassing one hundred locations.

Models

For comprehensive details regarding Autocar Company's various models, please consult the following principal categories:

• Autocar Type VIII
• Autocar Type X
• Autocar Type XI
• Autocar Type XII
• Autocar Type XIV
• Autocar Type XV
• Autocar Type XVIII
• Autocar Type Twenty One
• Autocar Type Twenty Two
• Autocar Type XXIV
• Autocar Type XXI Commercial

Subsidiary of White Motor Corporation

In 1953, White Motor Corporation acquired Autocar, positioning it as the flagship brand within White's "Big Four" lineup. The original manufacturing facility in Ardmore was replaced in 1954 by a new plant located in Exton, Pennsylvania. During the demolition of the Ardmore site in 1956, a fire broke out, threatening nearby areas.

Autocar broadened its offerings with the AP series of off-road vehicles, notably introducing the robust 1964 AP19 model. This vehicle boasted a gross combined weight rating (GCW) of 900,000 pounds, featured axles capable of handling up to 200,000 pounds each, and was initially equipped with a 525-horsepower Cummins V-12 diesel engine, later upgraded to a 750-horsepower Cummins KT six-cylinder powerplant.

The classic Autocar Driver Cab design remained standard on most trucks until 1977, when the Construcktor 2 model debuted with the Xpeditor cab sourced from White's sister company. Manufacturing at the Exton location ended in 1980, with production shifting to White Motor Corporation's advanced facility in Ogden, Utah.

White, Volvo and GMC

Following the move to Utah in 1980 amid White Motor Corporation's financial difficulties, AB Volvo acquired White’s U.S. operations in 1981 and established Volvo-White LLC. Under this new ownership, trucks were produced under both White and Autocar brands, with Autocar specializing in heavy-duty applications. The severe-duty Autocar DK series was introduced in 1983 as a successor to the DC line and targeted markets such as heavy dump trucks, concrete mixers, refuse collection vehicles, and oil field equipment. That same year saw the launch of the Autocar AT64F long-haul tractor, branded as "The Legend." Production of traditional trucks featuring the distinctive "Custom Driver Cab" concluded in 1987. In 1988, the DK model was replaced by ACL and ACM variants utilizing the White Xpeditor cab, reflecting increased incorporation of Volvo components and an evolving brand identity.

In 1987, Volvo-White expanded by acquiring GMC's heavy truck division and formed the Volvo WhiteGMC brand. Subsequently, Volvo phased out the White nameplate but retained the iconic Autocar bow-tie emblem. By 1996, "Autocar" transitioned into a truck model designation.

Autocar continued under Volvo's ownership until 2001. After Volvo's acquisition of Renault Trucks' North American operations and Mack Trucks in 2000 raised antitrust issues, certain Xpeditor low cab-forward designs along with related intellectual property and the Autocar brand were sold to Grand Vehicle Works Holdings, LLC (GVW Group), based in Highland Park. The Xpeditor cab had been a staple feature on various Autocar models since its introduction in 1977.

Contemporary activities

After nearly fifty years as part of larger corporations, Autocar reemerged as an independent entity employing more than 400 personnel across manufacturing sites located in Birmingham, Alabama, which produces ACX cabover and DC conventional trucks, and Hagerstown, Indiana, where custom-engineered ACMD and ACTT severe-duty vocational vehicles are assembled. The ACX model offers advanced ergonomic cabs with integrated controls and supports complex axle configurations—including triple-steer and triple-drive 12x6 setups capable of exceeding 100,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. As of 2021 data, the ACX ranks second nationally within key vocational segments such as concrete pump and refuse trucks. Meanwhile, the ACTT dominates terminal tractor markets. Autocar maintains an extensive nationwide service network across the United States serving major fleet operators and municipalities including Miami, Newark, Houston, Chicago, and Vancouver.

On September 13, 2017, Autocar inaugurated a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility spanning 1.2 million square feet in Birmingham.

Since 2012, production has included the medium-duty vocational Xpert (ACMD) series featuring a compact cab manufactured by Chinese company Qixing (model QX-PW21TGD), offering dual-steering configurations tailored for refuse collection applications.

On May 7, 2019, Autocar reintroduced the DC conventional truck—a hallmark product from mid-20th century—with modern advancements such as frame rails constructed from steel rated at 160,000 PSI strength, enhanced electrical systems, and a service-oriented three-person cab built using steel dashboard framing combined with aluminum panels. The initial DC-64R model focuses on refuse service applications. A notable innovation includes factory-installed full roll-off hoist bodies designed to improve integration and operational reliability. Additional variants announced encompass DC-64D dump trucks, DC-64M concrete mixers, and DC-64P concrete pump trucks.

On May 13, 2021, Autocar unveiled the E-ACTT fully electric terminal tractor—revitalizing its legacy of early electric vehicle production dating back to 1923.

Current truck lineup

• ACMD medium to heavy-duty cabover trucks, class 7/8
• ACTT terminal tractors alongside the electric E-ACTT terminal tractors
• ACX severe-duty cabover trucks, class 8
• Conventional truck models including DC-64D, DC-84D, DC-64M, DC-64P, and DC-64R

Truck applications today

• Support vehicles for aircraft and military operations, featuring tankers and scissor lift trucks
• Concrete transport and pumping vehicles
• Dump trucks for material hauling
• Refuse collection trucks
• Road service vehicles such as paint stripers, robust street sweepers, and water blasters
• Yard tractors commonly referred to as terminal tractors

Legacy truck models

• "Delivery Wagon" – Recognized as the earliest motor truck in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1899
• Type XVIII – Production resumed and announced in 1907
• Type XXI – Manufactured from 1910 through 1922
• Type XXVI – Offered in 4- to 6-ton capacities between 1919 and 1925
• Type XXVII – Available in 2- to 3-ton variants during 1921–1925
• A64, A75 & A102 – Lightweight models constructed with aluminum
• ACL & ACM – Conventional trucks equipped with the Xpeditor cab, produced from 1990 to 2001
• ACX E3 – Hydraulic hybrid-drive model built between 2010 and 2017
• AP – Heavy-duty trucks featuring planetary axles
• AT64F – Nicknamed "The Legend," a semi-tractor manufactured from 1983 to 1988
• AU – Aluminum short-hood model
• C – Gasoline-powered conventional trucks
• CK – Half-cab configurations
• Construcktor & Construcktor 2 – Models that utilized the Xpeditor cab design
• DC – Diesel conventional trucks produced from 1939 until 1984; production restarted in 2019
• DCU – Diesel conventional with a short hood
• Dispatch – Early delivery-focused model
• DK – Diesel conventional trucks introduced in 1984 and onward
• DS – Lightweight models designed for construction and refuse duties, produced from 1983 to 1987
• E1, E3 & E5 – Electric truck models from the 1920s era
• KK – Construction-specific model introduced in 1974
• RB/RL/RM – Conventional trucks manufactured between 1937 and 1940
• UD/UN/US/UT series – Engine-under-seat cabover trucks produced from 1933 to 1937
• UA/UB/U-series – Engine-under-seat cabovers built from 1935 through 1952
• WX "Xpeditor" – Cabover models available between 2001 and 2009
• WXLL "Xpeditor" – Low-entry cabover versions produced during the same period