Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Last Gasp for the White Motor Co

In September 1980 the White Motor Co was bankrupt. It took eleven months until Volvo AB picked up the US pieces and continued production under the "White" badge (and Autocar too - but we've already done that) but with the Volvo diagonal on the rad.
In 1987 Volvo bought General Motors Corp's heavy truck division and changed the badge to "White/GMC."
But before that happened there was a six year period when there were still new White trucks on the road. Here is a sampling:
1. Sandwiched between a 'binder and a Louis, this White from Victoria Van & Storage was a long way from home in Kentville, NS 1988-07-09. It was no doubt involved in the huge annual military re-posting exercises, which moves families from one coast to the other.

2. A Moncton O/O ran this White for Jumbo Motor Express 1988-03-26. He might need the second fog light in that weather.

3. Big Wheels Transport & Leasing of Kensington, PEI (as with Jumbo, no longer with us) always ran sharp looking black rigs with multi-coloured stripe. 1991-06-28.

3. Colemans/ Mackie ran the more traditional White, with the squared off rad - the best looking White ever. 2011-07-01, Lower Debert, NS.

4. Same model, but with non-factory sleeper added to day cab, on this B-train at Notre Dame-du-Lac, QC, 1991-08-03.

5. Single screw version of the same carried the fleet brand "Mega" in place of White. The truck was leased to Klaussner Furniture Industries Inc of Asheville, NC. Halifax 1991-09-29.




6. Groupe Canam of St-Gédéon-de-Beauce QC built Canam-Manac trailers, but is also a large structural steel fabricator. They had their own fleet of trucks to carry the steel all over eastern North America, including this White - which also had the White GMC badge on the lower side of the rad. Soon the White name would be gone and only the White GMC would remain.

More of those another time.

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