LITTLE GIANT

Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. (1911-1918)
Chicago, Illinois

This is a Little Giant radiator script (1911-1918)   mjs
Size: 340mm wide

John W Duntley began to develop pneumatic tools and established the Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company in Chicago in 1901 to produce construction tools. 

The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company produced a solid-tired, 22 hp two-cylinder runabout in 1906 only but it was not marketed. It was used solely for the use of the company's travelling salesmen. The company began to build 1-ton capacity trucks in 1910. These were Duntley trucks, which were sold in the UK as C.P.T. trucks. Some trucks were also sold as Chicago trucks. In 1911, the Duntley truck was renamed the Little Giant. 

Little Giant trucks were initially light trucks powered by two-cylinder engines with double chain-drive and were offered in the 3/4-ton to 1-ton capacity range. 

After 1915, Little Giant truck models were increased in size up to 3-1/2-ton capacity and used four-cylinder engines and worm drive. The Little Giant was also used in later years as a Convert-a-Car unit to convert a Ford car into a one-ton truck.

Emblems

The earliest Little Giant trucks did not have a hood. The brass radiator acted as the dash in front of the driver and had a brass "Little Giant" script mounted on the front of the radiator core, see original period photos shown below:

Little Giant truck in Chicago Reliability Run (1911)   dpl

Little Giant truck ad with period photo showing rad script (1912)  ebay

This is the "Little Giant" radiator script shown above at the top of this post. This Little Giant radiator script is rare.

A brass "C.P.T." logo script was also used on some Little Giant truck radiators, see original period photo shown below. Possibly, these were the trucks sometimes referred to as C.P.T, trucks.  Original "C.P.T." radiator scripts are extremely rare.

Little Giant trucks at trade show with CPT rad script (1912)  mroz

CPT Logo

The following Little Truck Model D advertisement confirms that the C.P.T. company never made a pleasure car only trucks:

Little Giant Md D advertisement khc

The following is a rare Little Giant Model D truck serial plate:

Little Giant Model D truck serial plate (date unknown) khc
Size: 76mm wide 26mm high

Original period photos of Little Giant trucks do not show any body side nameplates. However, a surviving 1913 Little Giant truck shows the "Little Giant Car" name on the driver's floor mat, see below:

Little Giant floor mat (1913)    aaca

From late 1915, Little Giant trucks had a conventional hood and radiator. The radiator continued to display the "Little Giant" name on a brass radiator script mounted on the radiator core. 

Little Giant truck advertisements from 1916 include an artist's illustration of a Little Giant truck displaying the radiator script but also showing a radiator emblem, see example shown below:

Little Giant truck advertisement (1916)  ebay

Little Giant illustration showing rad script & emblem (1916)

This same illustration is seen on Little Giant advertisements in 1918 also, but I have never seen a Little Giant radiator emblem and original period photos of Little Giant trucks from this time do not show a radiator emblem, see example shown below. If a Little giant radiator emblem could be found, it would be extremely rare.

Little Giant 2-ton truck showing rad script only (c1916)  ms

The following Little Giant advertisement shows a 1-ton delivery truck with the "Little Giant" name stenciled on the side of the hood:

Little Giant ad showing hood side stencil nameplate (c1916) ebay