Your Mack Bulldog Line

[kscarbel]

The 1982 Mack product range, largely featuring Mack's superior chassis-mounted charge-air cooling system and just ahead of the MH/RWI and E6 4-valve head product launch, personified the company's dominating position in America and abroad.

No other truckmaker in American history had more talented and higher caliber employees than Mack Trucks. Mack Trucks, unlike any other truckmaker throughout U.S. history, had a soul. Mack wasn't a brand. Mack was a legend. Mack was a family, of employees and customers. For customers, Mack was a feeling. For Mack employees everywhere, Mack was a meaningful way of life beyond all expectations.

Under good management (e.g. Zenon C.R. Hansen) legendary Mack engineers like Alfred Masury, Walter May and Win Pelizzoni created the superior "Mack" pedigreed product. In the face of unexpected and tragic setbacks (the 1969 crash*), Mack became the benchmark for both the U.S. and global truck industry.

"Built Like a Mack Truck....It's Part of the language". No other U.S. truck brand ever became a household word.

How could we proud Americans, representative of the greatest country in the world, allow our truck industry to become dominated by the Europeans. The allowed demise of Mack Trucks was a major pillar that should not have been allowed to fall. Our government, ever overseeing the auto industry, was and continues to be blind to the importance of our commercial truck industry.

* 1969 Crash Claims Mack Executives

October 27, 1999 | by FRANK WHELAN, The Morning Call

At 8:07 a.m. on November 6, 1969, “Mack IV”, a 1968 Learjet 23 (registration N1021B) owned by Mack Trucks Inc. took off from what was then Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport. Three hours later, it soared into dense fog and plunged into chilly Lake Michigan, killing all seven aboard. The cause of the crash has never been determined.

Along with pilot James S. Simmons and co-pilot George K. Strunk were some of the leading engineering talents at Mack:

John Lehoczky, 45, vice president-engineering;

Chatwin A. Sharfenberg, 57, chief-engineer highway trucks;

John "Jack" Richards, 43, manager-vehicle design;

David W. Steltz, 37, manager-vehicle design;

Luther Haus, 58, senior project engineer.

They were on their way to meet with representatives of the Modine Manufacturing Co., which produced radiators for Mack, based in Allentown.

"They were headed out to Michigan as part of a special project the company was working on," says historian John Montville.

The first part of the flight was apparently uneventful. But when the jet got to Lake Michigan, there were problems.

An attempt was made to fly across the lake and land at the Horlick Racine Airport in Racine, Wis. But a thick, cold fog had wrapped the huge body of water in a cloud bank.

What should have been a 15-minute hop across the lake proved impossible. After one try, the pilots decided to return to Ross Field in Benton Harbor, Mich.

For two hours, the plane sat on the ground. The Mack executives went off to eat lunch. The pilot and co-pilot stayed with the plane as 468 gallons of fuel was pumped aboard.

Les Meiners, a Benton Harbor airport employee, later told The Morning Call that conditions on the ground were considered "good."

A little before 11 a.m. the plane rose over Lake Michigan and disappeared from view. It was headed for Racine, but it never got there. At 11:08 a.m., it dropped into the lake two miles offshore.

It was noon of the next day before the fog had lifted enough for rescue efforts to begin. They went on for six days. The nose of the plane and a yoke were discovered floating in oily water.

The first body, Sharfenberg's, was found in the lake in June 1970 by the Kenosha, Wis., Sheriff's Department. Later that summer the remains of Lehoczky, Simmons and Strunk were recovered. The others were apparently never found.

Mack's chief executive officer, Zenon Hansen, who had created the Mack air fleet in 1965, was shaken.

"A multiple tragedy such as occurred in our Mack family requires the utmost in resolute strength, courage and prayer for help to the Almighty," he said.

The reason for the crash remains unclear. Both Simmons and Strunk were highly experienced pilots. They knew how to handle an instrument landing. The plane had been cleared for landing, and visibility was said to be about 3 miles. Almost a year after the crash, on Oct. 21, 1970, the National Transportation Safety Board ended its inquiry, reporting it was unable to determine the cause. The craft "continued descent below the prescribed approach path profile for reasons unknown," the investigators wrote.

[umodelnut]

There's a U model. I'll take that one. Haha. I like the Superliner in the last picture too.

[felicello122]

me too!!!

[57 bcr]

I remember reading about that crash in Mr. Montville's book also. I agree with you on who let the Europeans take charge of our truck manufacturers? Thanks for your postings of brochures and information. Very interesting!

[Superdog]

anyone else notice the caption in the U model and Valueliner pics? "Not available for export".

That RD800 pic has been a favorite of mine since it was on the calender 30 years ago.

[Maddog13407]

which one of John Montville's books was the write up about the crash? im sure i have it, maybe i overlooked it?

[57 bcr]

which one of John Montville's books was the write up about the crash? im sure i have it, maybe i overlooked it?

Page 175 in the newer edition anyway,Matt.Its just a short version of the story.I do have another more in depth write up on it,must be in a BULLDOG magazine or something.

[james j neiweem]

The reason the Europeons and Japaneese have made so many inroads into the trucking industry is the same reason they have made so many inroads into heavy industry Steel, turbine manufacturing, boiler manufacturing and electrical components. Westinghouse sold off there nuclear industry to British Nuclear fuel and then to the Japaneese. They sold of all there non Nuclear manufacturing to Seimans.

They then bought CBS owners of(Bevis and Butthead). Westinghouse once a proud manufacturer was totally gutted and laid waste to the Germans and Japaneese. All we were left with was Bevis and Butthead. They are now a small manufacturer of some electrical appliances. Why does this happen? It's by design folks.

Explore the Tri- Lateral Commision some time. This was a purposefull design agreement behind the scenes to diminish the power of the good old USA and elevate the Europeon and Japaneese industrial base. All is not what it seems sadly.

[Superdog]

Sure is sad Mack doesn't have a big line up like that todayWhat is there 6 models to choose from now?CHU,CXU,MRU,LEU,Titan and Granite,did I miss any?

[dds92780]

The R series is Smiling at me

[kscarbel]

Sure is sad Mack doesn't have a big line up like that todayWhat is there 6 models to choose from now?CHU,CXU,MRU,LEU,Titan and Granite,did I miss any?

What Volvo has done to Mack Trucks, reduce a global icon to a mere shell of its former self, should be a crime.

[41180]

mts self whenno doubt the good old days are gone. but mack was aleady a shell of its former glory when volvo took over. i think you can take any company and look at old brochures and say remember when but todays world is alot different . look at a chevrolet brochure from the 50s or 60s or even 70s and see how many different models of cars and different engines you could get and compare it to today, same with ford or any motor company. its not as easy as it used to be complying with goverment emmissions standards and crash standards and fuel economy standards. look at a kenworth brochure from the 70s youll see many more options then is available today .

[farmer52]

mts self whenno doubt the good old days are gone. but mack was aleady a shell of its former glory when volvo took over. i think you can take any company and look at old brochures and say remember when but todays world is alot different . look at a chevrolet brochure from the 50s or 60s or even 70s and see how many different models of cars and different engines you could get and compare it to today, same with ford or any motor company. its not as easy as it used to be complying with goverment emmissions standards and crash standards and fuel economy standards. look at a kenworth brochure from the 70s youll see many more options then is available today .

Back in the "day" you could order a vehicle with any engine, color, etc. Not a "package" like today. Most auto OEs offered almost unlimited exterior colors and several different color interiors (white, blue, green, tan, red, and black). I think we can thank EPA, regulations, and economy for what we "get" today. Seems like most stuff is just "cookie cutter".

[MackMann85]

Paint colors are still almost unlimited today, and i count 7 colors from the highway brochure including the custom packages, so not too bad at least in that department.

[farmer52]

Paint colors are still almost unlimited today, and i count 7 colors from the highway brochure including the custom packages, so not too bad at least in that department.

I was referring to the automotive industry. Trucks seem to have an endless array of colors and color schemes. Probably more so today than in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I just wish the automotive industry would offer the more choices. Afterall, a new car/truck is in the $50K range. I should have the freedom to choose both exterior and interior color and options. Trucks OEs are getting less fexible in the "hardware" side.

[220cummins]

The reason the Europeons and Japaneese have made so many inroads into the trucking industry is the same reason they have made so many inroads into heavy industry Steel, turbine manufacturing, boiler manufacturing and electrical components. Westinghouse sold off there nuclear industry to British Nuclear fuel and then to the Japaneese. They sold of all there non Nuclear manufacturing to Seimans. They then bought CBS owners of(Bevis and Butthead). Westinghouse once a proud manufacturer was totally gutted and laid waste to the Germans and Japaneese. All we were left with was Bevis and Butthead. They are now a small manufacturer of some electrical appliances. Why does this happen? It's by design folks. Explore the Tri- Lateral Commision some time. This was a purposefull design agreement behind the scenes to diminish the power of the good old USA and elevate the Europeon and Japaneese industrial base. All is not what it seems sadly.

Westingtonhouse is still around but only a shell of it's former self. They have a new world hq in cranberry,pa just north of pittsburgh. They are in the engineering and design of nuclear reactors.

[RowdyRebel]

Back in the "day" you could order a vehicle with any engine, color, etc. Not a "package" like today. Most auto OEs offered almost unlimited exterior colors and several different color interiors (white, blue, green, tan, red, and black). I think we can thank EPA, regulations, and economy for what we "get" today. Seems like most stuff is just "cookie cutter".

The last new car my grandfather bought before he passed away was a 1995 Ford Contour. 4 door, 5 speed, 6 cylinder car. The only "problem" was that he wanted a red car with a red interior. They told him he couldn't have it that way...that if he wanted a red interior, he'd have to have a white or black exterior....and if he wanted a red exterior, he'd have to choose either a black or tan interior.

He asked the salesman "Does Ford offer red paint as an exterior option?"

"Yes"

"Do they make a red interior for the car?"

"Yes"

"Then they can put them together. Are you going to place the order or will I have to take my money down the road to another Ford dealer who will get me the car I want?"

He got his car. They can put together any options they choose to offer. If they say they can't, they are lying to you. That salesman may not know how exactly to enter in the order...but he can call someone to assist. NOTHING is impossible, as long as you are asking for options available on that product line. If I'm spending MY money on a brand new vehicle, it WILL be built to my specifications...or else I'll take my money elsewhere to somebody willing to put the options I want together in exchange for my money.

The manufacturers prefer to build every car the same....it is "easy". Just like a lot of these housing subdivisions....they have 2 or 3 different architectural designs repeated throughout the neighborhood...because it is cheaper, faster, and easier to build the same house over and over again rather than to have to figure out what is needed for each individual home. These mass-produced cars and cookie-cutter houses are made to be found acceptable to the general population. Not everybody fits into their mold, though...and sometimes they fail to understand that simple fact.

I'm sure you can still get a new truck spec'd any way you want it. It might not be easy to convince the salesman to place the order...and if you are asking for something completely out-of-the-ordinary, it'll cost you....but they CAN build it for you...even if the dealership that sold you the truck has to finish setting it up for you. Depending upon what you are asking for, they might not be happy about it...they'd prefer you just make do with one of their cookie-cutter trucks....but money talks.

[REOGasMackDiesel]

Apparently your missing something, Did you Mack has the most hands on manufacturer around ? ? ?

Cookie cutter as you call it don't fit the modern Mack, I watched a 45min video of mega factories where they built a Mack titan ! ! !

Only the mechanical components are robo assembled, The rest of the truck is hand built to many options for each model to mass produce.

Show was filmed Aug or 2012 that's fairly current, Mack reps and employee's say the trucks vary to much from rig to rig for robotic assembly.

Mack's title maybe in Volvo's name but its clearly being ran a separate entity it is also legally separated as well !

Meaning Volvo to shut down monday and Mack trucks inc and Mack defense LLC could and would continue to operate.

For godsakes Fiat owns Chrysler, I don't here folks bad mouthing Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth-Ram and Jeep as well as Mopar products . . . Fiat 65%/UAW 35% that is how Chrysler LLC ownership is currently configured ! Fiat-Group fully plans to on a 100% buyout/take over ;o)

I actually love throwing this in Chrysler fans faces I hate Mopar always have always will once Renault sold their 49% of American Motors to Chrysler and CryCo merged the remaining 51% I refused to buy another Jeep ! ! !

Now that being said this was the only example I had in mind to work with ;o)

Mack was rather outdated and kinda obsolete a bit of an old dinosaur if you will, New Macks went from looking 20yrs old to looking like trucks of the future ! What's wrong with this ?

Its NOT like they turned their back on the old trucks like most brands have, The Mack dealerships around will still service and restore Mack trucks as old as the 1950s ! Try getting Ford, GM, or Fiat-Chrysler to do that ! For that matter the only other brand besides Mack that does this is DHVS or Diamond Heavy Vehicle Solutions T-Line trucks which still service/repair/repair parts for Daimond-Reo, Diamond-T, and REO trucks back to 1949 !

Ok sorry for the rant, I just felt like you were harshing Mack a bit excessively !

My apologies no malice intended ;o)

Mike

[REOGasMackDiesel]

Did you know that every Mack truck is hand painted still ? ? ?

They have bulk color's but they also custom blend and custom paint trucks.

They have a group of senior Mack employees that do all kinds of pin striping and such on trucks too.

They said no more than 5 or 6 trucks in row are identical to the last detail, This why they claim they have to keep it a hands on operation and will not be able to have fully robotic assembly !

I found that interesting ;o)

Mike

[other dog]

Back in the "day" you could order a vehicle with any engine, color, etc. Not a "package" like today. Most auto OEs offered almost unlimited exterior colors and several different color interiors (white, blue, green, tan, red, and black). I think we can thank EPA, regulations, and economy for what we "get" today. Seems like most stuff is just "cookie cutter".

Speaking of the EPA and regulations, and paint, and lines, I've been noticing that the lines on the road are getting really hard to see anymore at night, especially when it's raining, worse still when you're meeting oncoming traffic. I thought I just couldn't see that good any more, which may be true- however, I did pass the eye test without my glasses when I had my last physical- but somebody told me that wasn't it at all, it's the paint they use now.

They said the paint used to be an oil base paint and that it used to have something in it to give it a little reflectiveness, but it wasn't "environmently friendly" for some reason or other, so they changed the paint. Now you can't see where you're going at night in the rain at all, but at least the paint does not harm the environment, so that's a big relief. I always worried about the paint in those lines being harmful before, now all I have to worry about is running off the road, down the bank, and into the river.

[farmer52]

Speaking of the EPA and regulations, and paint, and lines, I've been noticing that the lines on the road are getting really hard to see anymore at night, especially when it's raining, worse still when you're meeting oncoming traffic. I thought I just couldn't see that good any more, which may be true- however, I did pass the eye test without my glasses when I had my last physical- but somebody told me that wasn't it at all, it's the paint they use now.

They said the paint used to be an oil base paint and that it used to have something in it to give it a little reflectiveness, but it wasn't "environmently friendly" for some reason or other, so they changed the paint. Now you can't see where you're going at night in the rain at all, but at least the paint does not harm the environment, so that's a big relief. I always worried about the paint in those lines being harmful before, now all I have to worry about is running off the road, down the bank, and into the river.

Yes, thanks again to EPA. Paint additive is one of the reasons CAT changed from bright yellow to dull yellow. BTW, do you know how much ground pollution comes from new asphalt or tar/gravel pavement runoff? We put used oil on dirt roads to prevent dust (township/state sprayed oil too).

[other dog]

Yes, thanks again to EPA. Paint additive is one of the reasons CAT changed from bright yellow to dull yellow. BTW, do you know how much ground pollution comes from new asphalt or tar/gravel pavement runoff? We put used oil on dirt roads to prevent dust (township/state sprayed oil too).

Lot of places with dust problems and constant traffic, like sawmills, woodyards, quarries,etc. did that. And it would pack down as hard as concrete. Calcium chloride works too, but it's very expensive. Only time they'd spread calcium chloride at the Westvaco yard was when the people who lived across rt.60 from the woodyard complained about it covering everything in their house. Raymond would bring a little Ford tractor over with a hopper on the back, fill it with calcium chloride and ride around the yard until it was empty, and you could kick the ground and you wouldn't see any dust cloud.

[glenlunberg]

The R series is Smiling at me

And it winked at me and said I must buy it.

[chu613]

What Volvo has done to Mack Trucks, reduce a global icon to a mere shell of its former self, should be a crime.

Can you repeat that? I think that Volvo brought Mack to the 21'st century. They have invested millions in a aging engine factory, they offered Mack a new chassis, 3 new modern engines, one of the best tranny if not the best tranny in the world, lately 2 new suspensions, and who knows what else; The Mack sales are booming in Canada just because one thing: THE ENGINE LINEUP and the super M-DRIVE tranny (aka-I-SHIFT) You guys are funny.

[2stacksuperdog]

Can you repeat that? I think that Volvo brought Mack to the 21'st century. They have invested millions in a aging engine factory, they offered Mack a new chassis, 3 new modern engines, one of the best tranny if not the best tranny in the world, lately 2 new suspensions, and who knows what else; The Mack sales are booming in Canada just because one thing: THE ENGINE LINEUP and the super M-DRIVE tranny (aka-I-SHIFT) You guys are funny.

Mhhhmmmmmmm you just wrote a whole book about how you hate your new mack.