In the days before Western Star.........

Much has been written lately about Western Star trucks [see Big Lorry Blog over the last few days and right here on March 31] - and rightly so- it is a distinctive truck.In the beginning there was no Western Star, strange as it may seem.
Then in 1967 or thereabouts there became one, a specialized, custom built, often extra heavy duty, Canadian designed and built truck.
It used the Autocar cab, which was about the best you could get at the time, and had a big hood to cover a big engine.
In 1970 it became a division of the White Motor Corporation of Canada Limited, and carried the name White Western Star.
That lasted for about ten years, during which White went down the tubes.
Not so Western Star which carried on, but that is modern history, for another time.

Here is a gallery of White Western Stars:



November 1971 ad

Sagadore cranes ran this set-back axle in 1991.

Famed A&F Baillargeon Express ran this rare single screw sleeper in 1989.

Burlington, Ontario appears beneath the drivers door, but the truck carries Nova Scotia plates, and seen at the International dealer in Burnside in 1988. This is an early model, with single headlights.

Brand new in 1976 at Dartmouth dealer.

Also at the dealer in Dartmouth in 1976.

Metis Beach, Quebec still operated this AWD high boy in 1997. It was in the Western Star dealer's lot in Amqui, Quebec when photographed.