North America’s oldest truck brand celebrates 124 years of the Autocar name. Autocar LLC manufacturers specialized severe-duty, custom-engineered Class 7 and Class 8 vocational trucks. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the company manufactures its vocational trucks in Hagerstown, IN, and its $120 million, 1-million-sq.-ft. heavy-duty work truck plant in Birmingham, AL. The company is 100 percent American-owned and assembles 100 percent of its trucks in the USA.
Autocar engineers trucks that support critical American infrastructure sectors such as refuse, material handling, concrete and logistics.
“As we celebrate 124 years of the iconic Autocar brand, we appreciate those who have played such a big role in the company’s success,” says Andrew Taitz, chairman of today’s Autocar Truck. “The early builders of Autocar-brand trucks were ahead of their time when they built Autocar No. 1 in 1897. That tricycle, powered by a one-cylinder gasoline engine, now resides in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.”
Autocar of 1899, the first motor truck commercially available.Autocar
Autocar does not have dealer inventory
Most vocational truck manufacturers sell stock mass-produced trucks through a dealership with no concern as to what body will need to be installed. Then, they compromise the original design with extreme modifications to mount the body. This step almost always includes cutting solid steel, splicing wiring and reconfiguring the chassis outside the control of the OEM (original equipment manufacturer). At Autocar, every truck is specifically designed for a customer’s particular job.
A Focus on Safety
Data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows Autocar trucks have 20% fewer accidents overall and 40% fewer accidents with injuries than all other manufacturers combined. Autocar trucks are engineered with 325 degrees driver visibility and the tightest turning radius, meaning less backing and fewer collisions. Autocar’s all-steel cabs and wrap-around bumpers are damage-resistant. Thoughtful details, such as fluid service points on the curbside, add up to increased safety.
Autocar brand highlights and firsts:
- Louis Semple Clark introduced the world to "Autocar No. 1" in 1897
- In 1899, the Autocar-brand vocational truck was engineered to carry and deliver packages. Even in 1899, Autocar-brand trucks were engineered and manufactured specifically for their customers' needs
- In 1907, the Autocar brand heralded the first shaft-driven commercial vehicle for operation on solid tires
- In 1911, the brand applied to trucks exclusively
- In 1923, America's first electric trucks, the E1 and E2, carried the Autocar brand
Fast forward to today’s latest innovations:
- In 2008, Autocar, LLC introduced the Autocar ACX Low Cab-Over with many industry firsts, including a spacious and ergonomically designed cab, B-pillar corner rear windows and integrated body controls
- In 2017, Autocar was the first OEM to offer compressed natural gas (CNG Trucks) two years ahead of the industry. Today, 60% of the trucks it sells are CNG and is the largest supplier of Class 8 CNG trucks across all industries
- The nation's first BADASS dump truck was delivered in 2021 with the tagline: "Always Up"
- In 2021, Autocar became the first truck manufacturer to implement Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS) in refuse trucks
- In 2021, Autocar introduced an emissions-free, all-electric version of its Autocar ACTT terminal tractor, the E-ACTT
