A 1916 restored Fruehauf trailer on display in Detroit

Barely making it into the freight elevator with inches to spare, volunteers at the Ford Piquette plant museum in Detroit breathed a collective sigh of relief when they managed to maneuver the 1916 Fruehauf semi-trailer into the cramped enclosure.  Gently the trailer was transported from the Detroit Historic Museum storage to be displayed on loan at the Ford Piquette Plant Museum for the next five years.

The loan was made possible because of truck collector, Randy Shelton who is a long time supporter of the Ford Piquette plant and a new enthusiast of the Fruehauf Trailer history.  Mr. Shelton's beautifully restored Smith Form A Model T was the perfect companion for the Fruehauf semi-trailer.  In 1914, when  August Fruehauf and Otto Neumann invented the semi-trailer it was paired with a Ford Model-T.  Mr. Shelton has become an expert on early Fruehauf trailer engineering and now owns four trailers, which he is in the process of restoring.

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Ford Piquette Plant Museum
The Birthplace of the Model-T
461 Piquette Ave, Detroit, MI 48202