Divco produced delivery trucks until 1986. Its final trucks belonged to a design lineage that had remained remarkably recognizable since the late 1930s.
Divco introduced a new welded all-steel van body and snub-nosed hood in 1937. The basic appearance changed very little afterward, helping the trucks become familiar sights on American dairy routes. Their practical layout supported frequent stops, and many models could be driven while standing for quick entry and exit.
The company’s business history changed several times. Divco became part of Divco-Wayne after a 1957 merger, was spun off in 1968, and shifted truck production from Detroit to Delaware, Ohio, in 1969. The trucks continued serving delivery fleets even as transportation technology and distribution practices evolved.
Production ended in 1986, closing a 60-year run that began in 1926. The 1986 date is sometimes confused with 1961, when Divco-Wayne’s Dividend bus production ended, or with 1992, when Wayne Corporation went bankrupt and liquidated. Those dates concern related corporate or bus history, not Divco truck production.