May/June 2023 Vintage Truck

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The May/June 2023 issue of the magazine is available in our gift shop now and will be available on newsstands soon. Our cover feature is Greg Rich Jr.’s 1951 Ford F-3 tow truck. Every angle of this beautiful truck illustrates Ford’s “Step-Ahead Engineering.” Story by Robert Gabrick • Photos by Al Rogers

Cover Story | 1951 Ford f-3 tow truck

Towing Champ

Every angle of Greg Rich Jr.’s 1951 Ford F-3 tow truck illustrates Ford’s “Step-Ahead Engineering.”

After World War II, pent-up demand for cars and trucks was initially met with facelifted versions of vehicles that had been introduced before the United States joined the fighting in 1941. It was time to offer an eager public new postwar models.

Studebaker led all manufacturers with its 1947 models, which it introduced on April 30, 1946. “First by far with a postwar car,” the ads rhymed. The all-new Chevrolet Advance Design trucks and GMC counterparts appeared in mid-1947. Promoting its “Brilliant New Styling,” Dodge introduced its new line of Job-Rated Trucks in 1948.

While Ford Motor Co. would introduce all-new models for its three automobile divisions in 1949, it was the F-series trucks—offered for sale on Jan. 16, 1948—that began the company’s parade of newly styled postwar offerings. “Ford Trucks are Bonus Built” declared ads and sales literature for the 1948 models. Noting that Webster’s Dictionary defined bonus as “something given in addition to what is usual or strictly due,” Ford ads highlighted four Bonus Built features that gave the light-duty trucks “extra strength.” These included frames, axles, propeller shafts, and crankshafts. Ford also promoted the truck’s airplane-type shocks, straight-through mufflers, tube-and-fin radiators, wide base rims, and a bumper attached directly to the frame.

To read more about the 1951 Ford F-3 tow truck, pick up a copy of the May/June 2023 issue of Vintage Truck magazine!

Articles in this issue include:

FEATURES

  • A Literal Breadbox on Wheels
    The Classic Car Collection’s 1920 Ward WS-2 delivery van reminds us that electric vehicles are nothing new!
    Story and Photos by Brad Bowling

  • It’s All About the Hood!
    This 1960 Chevrolet C10 had one thing going for it when Don Williams found it.
    Story and Photos by Brad Bowling

  • Towing Champ
    Every angle of Greg Rich Jr.’s 1951 Ford F-3 tow truck illustrates Ford’s “Step-Ahead Engineering.”
    Story by Robert Gabrick, Photos by Al Rogers

  • Salvage Yard Rescue
    David Horvath’s 1962 Town Wagon was saved from the junkyard.
    Story by Loren Hoekema, Photos by Al Rogers

DEPARTMENTS

  • Letter from the Editor

  • Letters to the Editor

  • The Road Less Traveled: It’s “International”—NOT “Harvester”

  • The Workhorse: 1959 Chevrolet 3800 NAPCO 4X4

  • Books in the Bed: Reviews by Robert Gabrick

  • Aid for the Anxious Amateur: Start Your Project with a Smart Purchase!

  • Hey Loren!

  • Classifieds

  • Show Guide

  • Granny Gear: “Truck Fulla Bees”

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.