100 bhp, 239 cu. in. L-head V-8 engine, three-speed manual transmission, solid front and live rear axles with longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Wheelbase: 114"

- An early example; only available to government contractors when new

- Complete body-off-frame restoration

- “Flathead” V-8 power, 12-volt conversion, excellent condition overall

Ford Motor Company made a dramatic stylistic move in the commercial vehicle market at the beginning of the 1942-model year. While Ford’s fiercest competitors, Chevrolet and Dodge, were slow to adopt integrated fenders and headlights, Ford did so in a single sweep. The new truck cab design had full-width fenders, with lights embedded in the “catwalk” area between the fenders and radiator grille. The grille itself was a smooth “waterfall” design, painted a contrasting color.

More advancements were found under the revised bodywork. All Ford trucks had now abandoned the long-running transverse leaf-spring suspension and torque-tube drive, changing to the more conventional longitudinal leaf springs and an open driveshaft.

Ford was the first of America’s automakers to resume production at the end of World War II. While its passenger-car assembly lines started on July 3, 1945, truck production was already in high gear, but during this time, only government contractors were allowed to purchase new trucks. Pickup assembly commenced in February 1945, and in order to meet the pent-up demand, Ford’s 1942-style trucks continued essentially unchanged until the debut of the all-new F-series truck line in January 1948.

This 1945 Ford truck was acquired by the current owner from a private collection in the spring of 2009. A Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical company that was a wartime contractor to the US Government reportedly purchased it new. It remained within single-family ownership from then until the late 1990s, and in 2001 it received a complete, body-off restoration by an employee of an Orlando, Florida Ford dealer with virtually no expense spared. Reported to retain the original “Flathead” V-8 engine and three-speed manual transmission, the truck also features a wooden cargo bed and a 12-volt conversion and remains in excellent overall condition.