At the end of January, we brought before you a rendering showing how a Chevrolet Silverado might have looked if its makers had envisioned it as a cab-over or, as the British say, a forward control. You only need to look at the comments section of that particular story to see how much an impact such an idea would have had.
Technically speaking, Chevrolet is no stranger to the COE segment, having been a regular player in this game back in the day when this configuration was being tried in America. But the modern-day Silverado never was and never will be such a machine, exciting as it may be.
Unlike Chevy, Ford had slightly more COEs in its portfolio back in the day, including things like the C Series, the so-called helmet-shaped trucks.
For reasons that have to do with both practicability and the public’s perception of them, cab-overs are long dead, at least as far as personal trucks go. One can still see such designs on present-day roads going about their business as dump trucks, towing machines, or means of delivery.
Of course, you can still see COEs based on the decades-old original ones, on the custom market, where there’s a very important fan base trying to keep the flame lit. And today’s treat, one to get our minds off the Chevy Silverado Forward Control that caused such a stir, is the Happy Hooker.
That’s the name the builders gave to this 1947 Ford COE, a model that pre-dates the C-Series by one year. It is a custom wrecker build, of course, one that was all the talk of the 2016 Detroit Autorama.
Rocking a 350ci (5.7-liter) with a 3-speed automatic and under 700 miles (1,100 km) on the clock, it still looks as shiny as it did five years ago in its two-tone black and silver overalls.
The COE is presently for sale on the lot of Gateway Classic Cars complete with all the equipment that would make it an effective wrecker for $53,000.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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