1951 Dodge Truck Abandoned for Decades Is a Rare Rescue Squad COE

Spotted by YouTube's "Bobs Classic Cars & Parts" in a private collection of derelict vehicles, this 1951 Dodge is part of the company's B-series truck line, produced between 1948 and 1953.

The predecessor to the C-series, the Dodge B-series is primarily remembered in 1/2- and 3/4-ton pickup truck configurations. However, just like Ford and Chevrolet at the time, Dodge also produced heavy-duty and COE versions of their main trucks.

While the regular, light-duty pickups were known as the B1 (B1-B for 1/2-ton and B1-C for 3/4-ton), the cab over engine trucks were marketed with "B2," "B3," and "B4" badges. They shared the front grille and headlamp assembly with the smaller trucks but featured impressively tall hoods. This quirky design spawned many nicknames, including "snub-nose, "bull-nose," or "bulldog."

The B-series COE was notably popular at the time, so why are they so uncommon now? Well, trucks tend to be abandoned once they get replaced by modern rigs, so most B2s were sold to junkyards and scrapped. A few thousand examples may still exist, but most of them are rotting away in scrapyards. It's not the kind of truck you'll see at a local car show anytime soon.

But while the B2 COE is very rare regardless of configuration, this 1951 version may be the last of its kind. That's because it's a regular pickup. This B2 is a dually variant with a rescue squad body. It has a dual cab layout that fits up to six people and an enclosed rear section with storage room for technical rescue equipment. They usually hauled various cutting and prying tools, water rescue equipment, and other specialized tools.

Unfortunately, this truck hasn't been moved in decades, and it's pretty much a rust bucket, albeit still in one piece for the most part. It still has the original engine under the hood, but it's probably stuck and won't fire up without a rebuild. Speaking of which, all Dodge COE trucks from the era were powered by flathead inline-six mills. Displacement versions included 218, 250, and 265 cubic inches (3.6, 4.1, and 4.3 liters), with the range-topping model providing more than 100 horsepower.

And despite its unique configuration, it's not as appealing as the smaller pickup trucks of the era. Sadly, it's probably doomed to rot into the ground on the property it's sitting right now. Do you think it's worth saving? Check it out in the video below.