1940 Diamond T 201 Pickup

One of the most misunderstood and mysterious pickups ever made were those built by Diamond T. An overbuilt truck of sensational capabilities, Diamond T trucks featured styling that blended design cues found in regular passenger cars with the robust designs seen in trucks of the 1940s. It has popularly become known as the Cadillac of pickup trucks.

In particular, the Model 201 was one of Diamond T's gems, and this one had a body-off restoration by noted Diamond T restorer Alan Riebe. He worked at Rollie's Machine Shop before starting his own shop in 1968, Riebe's Machine Works in Montana, which he operated until his retirement in 1996. We purchased this incredible "T" from his family, and is the standard of the industry.

Fitted with original sheet metal, hardware, dashboard and gauges, this Deluxe Model 201 is exemplary of how stylish, solid, durable and vigorous Diamond Ts were. Painted in bright red, it's easy to mistake the imposing pickup for something out of a firehouse. The chrome and brightwork shines beautifully, as does the flawless red floor. Equipped with guide headlights, Kalite taillights, amber foglights, stainless-steel framed vented windshield, a side-mounted spare tire and a driver's side mirror, this Model 201 is remarkably well dressed. Inside, passengers will adore the banjo steering wheel with its dedication plaque to Riebe, dark brown bench seat and two-tone door panels, but perhaps most impressive will always be the engine-turned aluminum and ivory gauges nestled across the dashboard.

This truck rolls on Eldorado ZRH light truck tires, size 7.50-R16 at all four corners plus the spare tire. Each one is mounted to a steel wheel topped with a chrome center cap. The wipers & horn are inop The tires are in very good order while the wheels look excellent.

Allen's passions and talents were restoring antique cars for himself and others. Through his lifetime he restored over 48 vehicles and his favorites were the Diamond T Trucks. When Allen wasn't in his shop creating something, he and Virginia would travel in their camper to antique car and Diamond T Truck shows all over the country, usually towing their own meticulously restored vehicle.

Few trucks ever even tried to be close to this stylish. Interestingly, Diamond T was founded by a shoemaker named C.A. Tilt in 1905. Trying to build cars proved to be more than difficult, so when a customer approached him for a light-duty truck, he was happy to help. He found through this venture that it was easier to sell pickups than cars, thus inspiring him to switch his focus. Diamond T, and later Diamond Reo, trucks were well-known for their hugely robust nature, a quality appreciated by customers who were often not easy to impress.

The Model 201 was introduced in 1938 and sustained through 1949.Roughly 7,000 Model 201s were built marking it as one of the company's most successful trucks. Finding one today is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack, making this one very exciting find.

Competition to this Diamond T in 1940 included Chevrolet's half-ton truck, Dodge's half-ton truck, Ford's half-ton truck, GMC's half-ton truck, International's D-2 truck and Willys Jeep half-ton truck.

If you're looking for a unique, pre-war classic truck, you could not go wrong adding this Diamond T to your collection. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to look it over!

VIN: 2011479

This truck is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 32,298 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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