The original “Bulldog” – a 1915 Mack AC model – will be showcased at the Mack Trucks Inc. booth (South Hall, #9011) during the CONEXPO-CON/AGG show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 22-26. “There’s no bulldog on the hood of this early truck, but it’s the truck that gave Mack its Bulldog-tough identity,” says Mike Reardon, Mack vice president of marketing.
During World War I, Mack delivered about 3,000 AC Models of the 3-1/2, 5-1/2 and 7-1/2-ton capacity to the U.S. government and its allies. Mack says the AC truck earned the nickname “Bulldog” from British soldiers while it was busy dodging bullets and trudging through the mud in France. The truck’s blunt-nosed design and its tenacious ability to get through anything with the supplies needed at the front reminded British troops of their own bulldogs.
The AC model was manufactured continuously through 1938. The Mack AC to be in Las Vegas is the first one ever built. It initially was displayed at the Boston Auto Show in January 1916. This truck’s permanent home is the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, Iowa. “The AC gave Mack international fame,” Reardon says. “Today, decades later, people around the world continue to feel strongly connected to this iconic brand.”
Current Mack models – including the Mack Granite series and Titan by Mack – also will be on display at CONEXPO.
