Diamond T station wagon
Factory photograph of the Diamond T Wagon Prototype (1946)

Text and drawing by Frank Peiler

The American auto industry returned to building cars soon after the end of World War II, and the car-starved public was clamoring to trade in its worn-out old rides for almost anything new that had at least four wheels and was self-propelled.

Vehicles That Nearly Were: Fisker Surf

Diamond T Wagon

Diamond T, the builder of big, rugged heavy-duty trucks thought about getting in on the passenger-car action. Its first and only attempt at building a light-duty vehicle was this prototype chrome-laden station wagon. Almost nothing is known about the concept technically, but it appears to be very trucklike, suggesting it was based on one of the maker’s existing truck platforms.

Can anyone out there shed some light on this wagon? Also, does anyone know the history of the Prince Castle franchise? I loved those greasy little hamburgers they served, and their ice cream was also the best!

More Frank Peiler drawings and blog posts

Diamond T Wagon, Prince Castles, Ice Cream,
Diamond T Wagon

Vehicles That Nearly Were: Mahindra TR Pickup

Amazingly Innovative Cars . . . And Why They Failed

The Nova and the Pistachio Shake: How My Dad’s Chevy Betrayed Me

Prince Castles, Diamond T Wagon

Photo Feature: 1931 Ford Model A Ice Cream Truck

Share this: