The Garford Motor Truck Co. of Lima, Ohio, USA, was a major player in the US light and medium truck and bus market in the period between 1910 and 1930. Between (at least) 1918 and 1923, the company was also advertising a range of basic fire apparatus.

The company enjoyed some success in Australia during this period, supplying truck, fire engine and bus chassis to most states.

Although the company didn’t sell any factory built fire engines in Australia, its chassis formed the basis for around 100 locally built examples.

Like many early auto manufacturers, the company grew out of other engineering or manufacturing enterprises. Arthur L. Garford, a successful financier and banker, had begun by making bicycle saddles in the early 1890’s. He later moved into the manufacture of complete bikes and, by the late 1890’s, controlled over 20 factories across America. Suddenly, however, the public craze for bicycles abated, and by 1901 his American Bicycle Company was insolvent.

Never-the-less, Garford was still able to buy up worthless stock (and asset