The November/December 2022 issue of Vintage Truck magazine is available in our gift shop now and will be available on newsstands soon. Continuing with our 30th Anniversary, we have in store for you some great features yet again! The cover feature is Michael Filgate’s 1953 Dodge B4B pickup. Story by Loren Hoekema • Photos by Al Rogers

FIFTY-THREE AND ME—A Tribute to Jim

Michael Filgate’s 1953 Dodge B4B pickup has the rare Truck-O-Matic semi-automatic transmission!

Michael Filgate was looking for a Studebaker pickup when he heard about a 1953 Dodge B4B-116 half-ton in amazing condition for sale nearby. Although he was not interested at first, Filgate was “blown away” when he saw pictures of the blue-and-black pickup. As he looked at the images, Filgate realized the rear cab pillar displayed the number “53,” which reminded him of his brother and best friend Jim, who was born in 1953. Jim passed away suddenly in 2019.

Filgate was no stranger to Chrysler products as his father had owned Imperials and Chrysler New Yorkers. However, the former financier and musician had collected Schrock Bros. 1/72-scale Studebaker miniatures for more than 20 years, and he had his heart set on his first pickup being a Studebaker with Robert Bourke’s groundbreaking styling.

Nonetheless, Filgate was impressed with the Dodge pickup’s style and condition once he saw it in person, and seller Tony Funigiello of Fairfield, Connecticut, had all the truck’s maintenance records. Funigiello tried to dissuade Filgate from buying the Dodge after hearing of his affection for Studebakers, but that number 53 and its association with his late brother had tremendous sentimental appeal. In the end, the B4B headed home with Filgate and his wife Nancy.

Filgate noticed the “Truck-O-Matic” emblems on the pickup’s hood sides, but he had no idea what they meant. He thought the Dodge had a normal, column-shifted 3-speed manual transmission with an H-type pattern that seemed to be missing first gear. A person knowledgeable about early Mopar products explained that Filgate’s Dodge was equipped with the seldom seen Truck-O-Matic (or TOM) semi-
automatic transmission option. The expert explained that the driver only needed to put the Dodge in high range and drive all day without needing to shift gears.

Filgate’s Dodge is the last of Dodge’s B-series—one of the marque’s most successful trucks—which was built between 1948 and 1953. The 1948s were Dodge’s first new post-World War II trucks and represented a complete change from the previous 1939–47 models. The cabs, front sheetmetal, and even the pickup boxes were new. Styling departed from the Art Deco look of the 1947 trucks and took on a more functional, integrated form. Dodge was the first truck maker to blend the front fenders into the doors, a precursor to the smooth-side look that became popular in the late 1950s. Cabs were taller and wider on the 1948s and came with a large increase in visibility due to larger windshields and side windows and the availability of rear cab quarter windows. Dodge called these cabs “Pilot House” because of their 360-degree visibility when equipped with the optional quarter windows that were included with the Custom Cab package.

To read more about the 1953 Dodge B4B, pick up a copy of the November/December 2022 issue of Vintage Truck magazine!

Articles in this issue include:

FEATURES

Red Ranger
Ray May’s 1969 Ford F-100 Ranger is a standard setter!
Story by Robert Gabrick, Photos by Al Rogers
“Look at This Truck!”
Daryl Wix’s 1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne hauls a half-ton of quality workmanship everywhere it goes.
Story by Bob Tomaine, Photos by Brad Bowling
Fifty-three and Me
Michael Filgate’s 1953 Dodge B4B pickup has the rare Truck-O-Matic semi-automatic transmission!
Story by Loren Hoekema, Photos by Al Rogers
Politics, Poultry, and Pickups
Jerry Hess’ 1964 Volkswagen Type II Single Cab pickup was so good that the United States imposed a tariff to keep others out!
Story by B. Mitchell Carlson, Photos by Brad Bowling

DEPARTMENTS

Letter from the Editor
Letters to the Editor
For Ford Fans: 1961 Ford Ranchero
Dodge Garage: 1952 Dodge pickup
Chevy Talk: 1931 Chevrolet Popcorn Truck
Books in the Bed: Reviews by Robert Gabrick
Hey Loren!
Classifieds
Show Guide
Granny Gear: How Conspiracy Theories Get Started

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