{{Use dmy dates, date=September 2016 1940 Dodge RX70 Airflow Texaco Tanker

The Dodge Airflow truck was a special request model truck that Dodge introduced in late 1934 and available through 1940. It used styling cues from Chrysler Airflow cars and the

Divco Divco was a brand name of delivery trucks built and marketed in the United States. Divco is an acronym which stands for Detroit Industrial Vehicles COmpany. Divco became known for its multi-stop delivery trucks, particularly in use as home de ...

1937 Model-B delivery vans. Most of the 265 units produced were fitted with streamlined

tank truck A tank truck, gas truck, fuel truck, or tanker truck (American English) or tanker (British English) is a motor vehicle designed to carry liquids or gases on roads. The largest such vehicles are similar to railroad tank cars, which are also des ...

bodies, and were used by major oil companies, like

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...

Socony-Vacuum Oil Company ExxonMobil, an American multinational oil and gas corporation presently based out of Texas, has had one of the longest histories of any company in its industry. A direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, the company traces its roo ...

and Esso. Airflow trucks were based on standard Dodge models, so from an engineering point of view they were rather conventional, despite their striking look. Five model names were assigned successively to the Airflow production; namely K-52, LM-70, LM-71, RX-70 and RX-71. Garwood Industries and Heil Co. of Milwaukee, Wis, among others, were the producers of the tank bodies; while the bodies of two beer trucks for

Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was an American brewery based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and once the largest producer of beer in the United States. Its namesake beer, Schlitz (), was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was adve ...

were built by H. Barkow Co., of Milwaukee.

Other streamlined tanker trucks

By the same years other streamlined tanker bodies were fitted to more conventional chassis-cabs of other truck makers, like Mack,

International International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

and

Diamond T The Diamond T Company was an American automobile and truck manufacturer. They produced commercial and military trucks. History The Diamond T Motor Car Company was founded in Chicago in 1905 by C. A. Tilt. Reportedly, the company name was creat ...

. Specially unconventional and noteworthy were the impressive Texaco's Diamond T ''Doodlebug'' tankers, designed by the futuristic industrial designer

Norman Bel Geddes Norman Bel Geddes (born Norman Melancton Geddes; April 27, 1893 – May 8, 1958) was an American theatrical and industrial designer. Early life Bel Geddes was born Norman Melancton Geddes in Adrian, Michigan and was raised in New Philadelp ...

. They featured a Heil low profile body and used a

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

six-cylinder engine mounted in the rear and a large radiator behind it. Air pressure actuated the four-speed gearbox and clutch, using the same pneumatic system for braking. A compound-curved

windshield The windshield (North American English) or windscreen (Commonwealth English) of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike, truck, train, boat or streetcar is the front window, which provides visibility while protecting occupants from the elements. ...

and curved side glass were also noticeable features. In Australia the

Socony Vacuum Oil Company Mobil is a petroleum brand owned and operated by American oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil. The brand was formerly owned and operated by an oil and gas corporation of the same name, which itself merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil in 1999. ...

owned several remarkable streamlined ''Reo Speed Tankers''. These trucks were built on Reo

Cab over Cab-over, also known as cab over engine (COE), cab forward (U.S.), flat nose (Canada), or forward control (UK), is a body style of truck, bus, or van that has a vertical front, "flat face" or a semi-hood, with the cab of the truck sitting a ...

-engine three-Ton chassis. Bodies were built by

Martin & King Martin & King was a manufacturing company based in Melbourne, Australia. The company specialised in motor vehicle bodies

Coachbuilders in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

External links

Streamlining-goes-heavy-dutyAirflow historyDodge Airflow Tanker Trucks – Streamlined And Noteworthy1940 Dodge RX70 truck in Bill Richardson Transport World museum, Invercargill NZTexaco Diamond T doodlebug tanker in The Old MotorThe Amazing Socony Vacuum Oil Company Reo Tanker TrucksDoodlebug down under: BAP’s own streamlined tanker truck1938 Dodge Airflow Fuel Tanker: Driving the Walter P. Chrysler Museum's new mascot
Airflow truck