Iowa 80 Trucking Museum will host a 100th Birthday party for its 1912 Saurer and 1912 Mack Jr. trucks on Friday, July 13, at 2:30 p.m. The special celebration will coincide with the Walcott Truckers Jamboree, July 12-13.
“It’s very fitting that we are celebrating both the Saurer and Mack Jr. trucks, since both nameplates were forerunners to the Mack trucks we see on the road today,” said Dave Meier, museum curator.
Both the Mack Brothers Motor Car Co. and the Saurer Motor Co. were governed by the same holding company; International Motor Co. The company — originally called Mack Brothers Co. — was founded as by John, Augustus and William Mack in 1900.
The Mack Jr. Model was the first one that Mack produced that had the steering on the left side. Prior to that, all trucks had the steering wheel on the right; the same side horses were driven from.
“The truck was in disrepair when we acquired it. The restoration took over two years and this truck is only one of three Mack Jr. trucks known to still exist,” Meier said.
Saurer trucks were first imported in 1908. United States assembly started in 1909 in Plainfield, NJ. According to Meier, this particular Saurer truck is the only American made Saurer known to exist today, according to Meier.
