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The Diamond T Company was founded in 1905 by C.A. Tilt, a shoemaker by trade. Tilt's new company first produced four-cylinder touring cars, runabouts and limousines at its plant in Chicago from 1907 until 1911. Auto sales were far from stellar: Only several hundred were built, and when a customer asked if Tilt could build a light-duty truck, the founder obliged. Other specialty orders followed, and the owner realized it might be a bit more lucrative to offer trucks and commercial vehicles.
By the mid-Teens, the company had switched focus and begun producing trucks exclusively. Diamond T, and later, Diamond Reo commercial trucks were well known for their over-built designs through World War II and on into the 1950s.
The company was purchased by White Trucks in 1958 and was merged with the Reo Truck brand, which White had bought one year earlier. Production was moved to Lansing, Michigan, after the White Truck purchase and continued under the name Diamond Reo Trucks until the mid-1960s. Over a quarter-million Diamond T/Reo trucks were produced between 1911 and 1966.
In 1936, Diamond T began offering 3/4-ton Model 80 pickup trucks, as an answer to the light-duty offerings being produced by Mack, Reo and Federal. Though short-lived, the 1936-'38 Model 80 pickups sold very well against the competition, which led to the release of the one-ton Model 201 in 1938. The Model 201 pickups were produced between 1938 and 1949, and research indicates there were only about 7,000 built. A new model, the 222, was rolled out in 1950, but it was not as well received, and poor sales shifted Diamond T's focus back to strictly larger trucks.
The Model 201 tipped the scales at 2,750 pounds and carried an 8,000-pound GVW. The truck was based on a unique X-frame undercarriage that added support to the already sturdy chassis, with an I-beam front axle up front, and 13-leaf rear springs. The truck rolled on 16-inch cast-iron wheels, and 20-inch wheels were offered as an option.
Under the Diamond T hood ornament purred a Hercules QXLD3 inline 236.7-cubic-inch six-cylinder gas engine that produced 91 horsepower at 3,200 RPM, and 190-pound-feet of torque at 1,400 RPM. The engine was connected to a Warner T-9 four-speed transmission and a Clark R650 full-floating rear differential. All four wheels received Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes.
A passenger car-inspired grille, dual fold-out windshield panels and car-like interior appointments were used to appeal to the more "refined" trucker. Full wheel covers and a running board-mounted spare were also standard equipment.
Both stake truck and panel delivery configurations were offered on the Model 201 during its 11 years of production.
This month's example was featured in the December 2014 Mecum Auction in Austin, Texas, as part of the Kisber Vintage Truck Collection. It sold for $46,000 plus buyer's premium, far over and above its original $1,650-$1,800 selling price in 1948. At the time, the sticker price was almost $500 more than a comparable "Big Three" pickup; similarly, the Diamond T's that have survived are today worth far more than their counterparts. Similar Diamond T pickups have been sold at auction in recent years: a 1947 Model 201 pickup sold at an RM Auction in October 2012 for $49,500, and a 1949 Model 201 sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale earlier this year for $71,500. The highest known auction price for a Diamond T 201 pickup also occurred in Scottsdale, in 2010--a restored 1938 Diamond T pickup sold for over $104,000.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: Hercules Model QXLD3 L-head six-cylinder
Displacement: 236.7 cubic inches
Bore/Stroke: 3.76 x 4.25 inches
Compression: 6.5:1
Pistons: Three ring, aluminum alloy
Main Bearings: Seven
Valves: 1.5-inch-diameter intake, 1.25-inch diameter exhaust
Timing: Helical gear driven
Oil capacity: Six quarts
Coolant system: Radiator-cooled with thermostat, 50 gpm water pump
Horsepower: 91 hp @ 3,200 RPM
Torque: 190-lb.ft. @ 1,400 RPM
Electrics: Six-volt battery with Autolite generator
Fuel system: Single Zenith updraft carburetor
Transmission: Warner T-9 four-speed with reverse, single disc dry clutch
Tires: 7.50 x 16 front and rear w/optional 5.0 x 20 front and rear
Wheelbase: 128 inches
Brakes: Lockheed single reservoir 1.25-inch bore master cylinder, four-wheel expanding drum brakes
Weight: 2,750 pounds
Recent
Boosted Powertrain
At the heart of this SVT Lightning is its iron-block 5.4-liter SOHC, 16-valve V8 with a supercharger and an intercooler. The blower helped it deliver 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, up some 20 horsepower and 10 lb-ft from the ’99 and 2000 models. The Eaton supercharged engine delivered peak boost of 8.0 psi and the engine featured an 8.4:1 static compression ratio, down from the standard 5.4 V8’s 9.0:1, which was rated at 260 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
Power reached the rear 18-inch cast aluminum-alloy wheels via a four-speed automatic, an aluminum driveshaft and a beefy 9.75-inch, limited-slip rear axle with an acceleration-friendly 3.73:1 final-drive ratio, another upgrade for 2001. Car and Driver magazine reported a 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a quarter-mile in an E.T. of 13.8 seconds at 104 mph—impressive numbers for a 4,600-pound truck. Top speed was a drag-limited 142 mph.
A Truly Sporting Truck
Trucks generally require a suspension that can handle a full load in its bed while also providing competent driving while empty. But if you fancy one designed to a sports-car standard, then something has to give. In the case of the second-gen Lightning, Ford dropped its payload capacity to a mere 800 pounds. A standard 2001 F-150 Styleside carried a 3,180-pound payload rating, while an F-150 Flareside was rated at 2,005 pounds, some two-and-a-half times the Lightning, which featured the short-bed Flareside body. Towing capacity, likewise, was reduced from 8,800 pounds to 5,000 in the Lightning. But the Lightning’s strengths were never its payload or towing capacities, but it’s ability to perform like a sports car.
As a 21st century performance vehicle, however, the second-gen Lightning was also equipped to handle. A half-inch drop at the front was accompanied by SVT-specific coil springs and Bilstein shocks along with an exclusive 31-mm solid anti-roll bar. SVT’s influence continued at the rear with Lightning-specific five-leaf springs and a 23-mm solid anti-roll bar. The Bilstein setup at the rear included the right-rear shock staggered toward the front of the truck to reduce axle hop under heavy acceleration. The four-wheel antilock disc brakes were cribbed from the three-quarter-ton F-250, with 12.1-inch front rotors at the front and 13.1-inch discs at the rear.
As the years go on, fewer and fewer clean, unmolested low-mileage examples are out there, which is why this 2001 Ford SVT F150 Lightning now on Hemmings Auctions caught our attention. Showing just 5,525.5 miles on its odometer at the time of submission, it is said to be in “mint” condition and have an “immaculate” finish in the seller’s words. No modifications are noted to any part of the vehicle. The 18-inch factory alloys don’t appear to have any curb rash, though the Goodyear performance tires may be original. About the only deviations from stock are the tinted windows.
The latest electric-only F-150 Lightning is certainly a quick vehicle in its own right, but this 2001 edition from the engineers at SVT was built for excitement, not range. It was made with an old-school muscle-car vibe along with modern handling and braking. Which Lightning would you look good behind the wheel of?
Take a look at this second-gen Lightning on Hemmings Auctions before the bidding ends.
Interested in a new or late model used car?
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