Iowa Motor Truck Co.
| Company type | Truck Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1915 |
| Founder | Mr. Bell [1] |
| Defunct | 1923 |
| Headquarters | Ottumwa, Iowa, US |
| Products | Trucks |
The Iowa Motor Truck Co. of Ottumwa, Iowa, was a truck manufacturer.
History
The Iowa Motor Truck Co. produced light trucks under the brand Bell. The Iowa Motor Truck Company was founded on December 4, 1915.[2] Before the Iowa Motor Truck Co. started delivering its own trucks from 1919, it already provided conversion kits in 1916 to turn Ford vehicles into trucks. These chassis were already called the same as the later own trucks, Model E and Model O. In 1919, the Model E with 1.5 tons and the Model O with 2 tons were produced. The engines came from the company Buda. The Model E used a four-cylinder engine with 3801 cc. The bore was 95.25 mm and the stroke 133.35 mm. The 1.5-ton had a wheelbase of 3708 mm. The transmission had three gears.[3] The Model O had an engine displacement of 5343 cc with a bore of 114.3 mm and a stroke of 130.175 mm.
Production figures Bell trucks
The pre-assigned serial numbers only indicate the maximum possible production quantity.
| Year | Production figures | Model | Load capacity | Serial Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | 36 | E [4] | 1,5 to | 4875 to 4910 |
| 1919 | 295 | O | 2 to | 1001 to 1295 |
| 1920 | 202 | E | 1,5 to | 4910 to 5112 |
| 1920 | 199 | O | 2,5 to | 1295 to 1494 |
| 1921 | E | 1,5 to | ||
| 1921 | O | 2,5 to | ||
| 1921 | M | 1 to | 11205 to | |
| 1922 | ||||
| 1923 | ||||
| Sum [5] |
References
- ^ "Mr. Bell". Motor age v.37 1920 Jan-Jun. 1920-03-18. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Iowa Motor Truck Company was founded". The Commercial vehicle v. 13 (1915-1916). 1915-12-04. Retrieved 2025-12-02.
- ^ "Model E with 1.5 tons". Motor truck; the national authority of power haulage v. 11 (1920). 1920-01-01. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Model E 1.5 tons". The Commercial vehicle v.23 1920-1921. 1920-08-01. Retrieved 2025-12-01.
- ^ "Bell Serial Numbers". Branham automobile reference book, showing in illustrated form the location of motor and serial numbers on all passenger cars and trucks 1923. 1923-01-01. Retrieved 2025-12-01.