I remember "real" Towmotor lifts from the 60s, and this thread prompted my use of Google. They are credited as inventing the genre, sold to Caterpillar in 1965, had management and labor problems MOSTLY attributed to the acquisition, and almost disappeared. Caterpillar has a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America Inc. supplying products based on the originals.
Thanks for the memories.