Operations

Oh, the stories these tough old Macks could tell

Sept. 26, 2017

While much of the attention at Mack Trucks today is on the new Anthem highway tractor, the company's vintage and antique trucks are certainly also worth a look. And thanks to a major revitalization of the Mack Customer Center in Allentown, PA, you can now do a lot more gawking.

Aaron Marsh

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A recent $3 million refresh of the facility included a considerable expansion of the Mack Trucks Historical Museum beyond what was available last year around this time.

If you go there, you'll find some old Macks "just visiting" on loan from around the country — which means the experience you have could be different, depending on when you drop by — along with some trucks that are permanent residents.

It feels like all of them are full of tales and the passion of their owners past and present, if only they could talk. But Mack historic experts like Doug Maney (above-left photo) can give you an idea at least, or usher you through the Customer Center's other exhibits such as a replica of Alfred Fellows Masury's original Mack bulldog hood ornament carved in wood and patented in 1932 (see below).

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About the Author

Aaron Marsh

Before computerization had fully taken hold and automotive work took someone who speaks engine, Aaron grew up in Upstate New York taking cars apart and fixing and rewiring them, keeping more than a few great jalopies (classics) on the road that probably didn't deserve to be. He spent a decade inside the Beltway covering Congress and the intricacies of the health care system before a stint in local New England news, picking up awards for both pen and camera.

He wrote about you-name-it, from transportation and law and the courts to events of all kinds and telecommunications, and landed in trucking when he joined FleetOwner in July 2015. Long an editorial leader, he was a keeper of knowledge at FleetOwner ready to dive in on the technical and the topical inside and all-around trucking—and still turned a wrench or two. Or three.

Aaron previously wrote for FleetOwner.