In all the rather large and diverse world of pickup trucks, there is no such machine as successful as ones of the Ford F-Series. Now proudly represented by the flagship F-150 in its various forms (but also some bigger and meaner pickups), the family can trace its roots all the way back to the years after the Second World War - to 1948 to be precise, the year when the so-called Ford Bonus-Built was introduced to replace the car-based trucks made until then.
Of interest to us today is the half-ton F-100, a model that came to be in 1953 as the second generation of what was until then the F-1. This truck breed is going under the spotlight today because of the Metallic Green example we found sitting on the lot of auction house Mecum, waiting to be sold at the event in Dallas scheduled for next week.
This particular one, born in the last year of the second generation, 1956, is of course custom, and wraps the said Hulk-like green, all-steel factory body around a light green and grey interior. All of that unique look is backed by clever and abundant use of chrome, on anything from the front grille and side mirrors to the chrome license plate and rear lights.
The truck is powered, of course, by a V8 engine, which in this case comes as a crate 302ci aided by a Holley carburetor and an Edelbrock intake manifold. The engine runs its undisclosed power through an automatic transmission, and breathes through a Flowmaster exhaust system.
Photo: Mecum
Sitting on chrome wire wheels shod in BF Goodrich tires, the F-100 moves its two occupants about in a decently-done interior, with leather seats in Mint Green to sit in, both Dolphin and Stewart Warner gauges to look at, and an AM/FM cassette system that makes itself heard through a concealed speaker system.
The overall look of the inside is enhanced by the use of things like a green dashboard with chrome inserts, especially on the air conditioning outlets and the instrument cluster. If you happen to look out the large rear window, the view of an oak bed hidden under the Mint Green vinyl cover is what greets you.
As said, the truck is currently for sale, and it’ll go under the hammer on September 10. No mention is made as to how much it is expected to fetch, but knowing how these things usually go, we expect a mid-to-high five-digit sum to be involved.
The F-100 is presently part of a collection called James Gilstrap, and is selling alongside 21 other cars from the same group. It's a diverse bunch, one that includes a number of Ford Thunderbirds, Chevy Corvettes, Aston Martins, and even Lamborghini and Ferraris.
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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