Smith Miller, the Kennedy's and Fruehauf

A large number of these toy trucks were produced by the Smith-Miller Toy Company after receiving the design for the truck and trailer from Roy Fruehauf.  They were created for distribution during National Truck Week.  The trailers bore the name of Fruehauf, while the Teamsters’ Union logos were displayed on the sides of the trailer as well as the doors of the truck.  Very few of these original trucks remain in circulation.  Most are held in private collections.  The actual truck used as an exhibit in the McClellan Hearings can be found at the John F. Kennedy Museum.
 
The basic truck and trailer design was a favorite of the Smith-Miller company, and was reproduced bearing the logos of numerous companies in the years following the hearings.  The Fruehauf Trailer Historical Society, with the assistance of toy designer David G. Norman, restored a vintage Smith-Miller and transformed it into the infamous Teamsters’ truck and trailer.  It made its debut appearance in August 2015 at the Brooks Truck Show in Brooks, Oregon.  These photos show the before and after of this restoration.

Special thanks to Dave and Darlene Norman for recreating this truck and history