March/April 2019 Vintage Truck

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The March/April 2019 issue of Vintage Truck magazine is now available on newsstands. Our cover story about a 1952 Ford F-1 was written by Robert Gabrick, with photos by Mark Dalton.

Dennis Dahle is a rarity in our hobby in that he is still enjoying the pickup that taught him how to drive! On the show circuit, where it has garnered a cargo box full of trophies since its restoration, his 1952 Ford F-1 is known as “First Ride.”

Growing up in Haugen, Wisconsin, Dahle was part of a family whose larger-than-life grandfather, Alfred Dahle, established a lumber mill and retail supply company that carried on until 1991. (Haugen was, and continues to be, a small village in the northwestern part of the state—population 287, according to the most recent census.) Dahle’s grandfather, Alfred Dahle, bought the red Ford F-1 new for duties at the mill.

With evident wistfulness, Dahle declares, “I can look at that truck and go back in time.”

One fond memory is that he often rode in the F-1 with his grandfather to dynamite stumps on land cleared of lumber for the mill. The mill’s 10-acre site also allowed enough room for a 14-year-old Dahle to learn to drive, and the lack of a police presence meant he could take to the local streets and highways before he had a driver’s license.

Because of totally different business philosophies and management styles, Henry Ford and his son Edsel struggled and often feuded over the operation of Ford Motor Co. for the better part of two decades, beginning with Edsel’s assumption of the presidency in 1919. The result of this struggle resulted in a weakened position for the company at a time that the United States needed Ford the most—the middle of World War II.

With Edsel’s untimely death from stomach cancer in 1943 and Henry’s obvious diminished capacity from age and mental problems, the U.S. government found itself in a dilemma concerning Ford’s unfinished military contracts. Henry Ford II (Edsel’s oldest son, often referred to as “the Deuce”) was released from the Navy and sent home to finish Ford’s military commitments. He and his management crew pursued those goals in style.

To read more about our featured 1952 Ford F-1, pick up a copy of the March/April 2019 issue of Vintage Truck magazine! 

Articles in this issue include:

  • Stude Surprise: James and Stephanie Bell’s 1902 Studebaker Electric Wagon recalls the promise of battery power.  By Candace Brown

  • Final Task Force: Mike Myers’ 1959 Chevy Apache was too nice for dump duty! By Candace Brown

  • First Ride: Dennis Dahle’s 1952 Ford F-1 was his grandfather’s lumber mill truck when it was new. By Robert Gabrick, Photos by Mark Dalton

  • Grocery Getter: Leo and Cheryl Zapotok’s 1933 International D-1 By Bob Tomaine

  • Badge Engineering: Chrysler exercised some creative license with its Fargo, Plymouth, and DeSoto trucks! By Bill Siuru

  • Chevy Talk: 1929 Chevrolet Stake Bed

  • Delivery Designs: Dover—A Truck that Departed Way too Soon

  • The Road Less Traveled: The Traction Truc-Tor

  • Hey Loren!: Q&A

  • Aid for the Anxious Amateur: Master Cylinder and Power Booster Replacement

  • Granny Gear: Joplocka Japloogn

  • Gallery: Photo courtesy Joe Deevy

If you can't find Vintage Truck on a newsstand near you, call 800-767-5828 or visit our Gift Shop to order current or back issues. To subscribe, call 888-760-8108 or click here.