The Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation was an American manufacturer of
truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
s and
fire apparatus founded by Addison Ward LaFrance in 1916 in
Elmira Heights, NY
Elmira Heights is a village in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 4,097 at the 2010 census. The village is primarily within the town of Horseheads, but part of the village is in the town of Elmira. The village is a nort ...
. The company ceased operations in 1979.
LaFrance was a relative of Truckson LaFrance, the founder of the similarly named fire apparatus manufacturer
American LaFrance
American LaFrance (ALF) was an American vehicle manufacturer which focused primarily on the production of fire engines, fire aerials, and emergency apparatus such as ambulance and rescue vehicles. Originally located in Elmira, New York, the fin ...
.
and had worked at the legendary apparatus builder before beginning to build his own trucks and apparatus.
Ward LaFrance built tank wreckers for the
US military, vans for
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational corporation, multinational package delivery, shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company ...
, over the road tractors, cement trucks, dump trucks, chassis for
buses and
trolleys, and
armored cars.
Perhaps the best known Ward LaFrance product was the P-80 "Ambassador" model of pumper, one of which was donated as
product placement
Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of th ...
by the company to be used as the fictional
Los Angeles County Fire Department Engine 51
Engine 51 is known for its time in the 1970s TV show ''Emergency!''. Engine 51 is actually two very different fire engines. Both Engines 51 sit in the Los Angeles County Fire Museum right next to the famous Squad 51. The museum is building a new fa ...
on the 1970s television program ''
Emergency!''.
[
] In 1976 the ailing company was purchased by a group of private investors but closed for good in 1979.
See also
*
G-numbers (G116)
References
External links
wardlafrance.com (Official)
Emergency services equipment makers
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