Iowa Museum Houses Some Very Rare Trucks

Iowa Museum Houses Some Very Rare Trucks AG WORLD Ag World 22-6-23 You've never seen anything like some of the classic trucks housed in Lloyd Van Horn's Truck Museum just north of Mason City, Iowa. Three large buildings are filled with some of the nation's oldest commercial type vehicles, including several that are believed to be the only ones in existence. We heard about Van Horn's collection, put together over more than 34 years, from other classic truck collectors and decided to find out for ourselves what all the fuss was about. Here are some of the more fascinating trucks in Van Horn's vast collection. 1910 Beyster-Detroit Built by the Beyster-Detroit company of Detroit, Mich., in 1910 and 1911, this 1,200-lb. light delivery truck was powered by a 4-cyl. 25 hp engine and cone clutch with selective sliding transmission and double chain drive. It features high wooden wheels with soft rubber tires and enough brass to make a general jealous, including radiator, search light and side lights. It was totally restored four years ago after being purchased at an estate auction in Michigan. This is thought to be the only one left in existence. 1910 Buick Model 2 This commercial vehicle was Buick's first attempt at truck building. It's powered by a 22 hp 2-cyl. opposed engine mounted under the driver's seat and a 2-speed planetary transmission and double chain drive. The Model 2 came in both a 92 and a 100-in. wheelbase. This truck was totally restored when purchased in Hershey, Pa., five years ago. Very few of these trucks are left. 1916 Buick Model D4 This truck was Buick's second attempt at truck building. Several thousand of the Model D3 and D4 were built up until 1918. They featured 4-cyl. engines, 2.3 and 3.6 liters, respectively. Van Horn located this truck in Marion, Ohio, where it had sat in pieces in a garage for over 25 years. Restoration was one of the museum's bigger projects. 1927 Woods The Woods plant was in Havlock, Neb., near Lincoln. The only Woods truck known to have survived, this one was totally restored when purchased in Newton, Iowa, nine years ago. It's housed in the museum's "gasoline al-ley", a long row of gas trucks dating from 1916 to 1937 as well as displays of memorabilia from early gas stations. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Van Horn Truck Museum, 15272 North Street, Mason City, Iowa 50401 (ph 515 423-0550 or 9066).

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