Photo: Mecum
Having done its part during the second world war, Willys Motors returned after the conflict, as all others, to making products for civilian use. A number of vehicles were made by the company, including one that seems to be in higher demand today, decades after it was discontinued, than it was back then.
The vehicle in question if the FC, or how it came to be known to the world - the Jeep Forward Control. Made from 1956 to 1965 using the existing CJ-5 chassis and 4-cylinder Hurricane engine, the pickup was a strange apparition on the roads of that era.
That was mostly due to the way it was built. Because of the short wheelbase it used, placing a 6-foot pickup bed at the rear meant Willys had to push the cab forward, over the engine, hence the Forward Control designation. The short, tiny-looking Jeep pickup could be fitted with a variety of equipment, from utility boxes to wrecker hooks, making it ideal for use in a variety of fields, including as ambulances and fire trucks.
The one you see in the gallery above is a Forward Control of the FC-150 variety that was restored in 2013. It is currently on the lot of cars scheduled to sell during the Mecum Indiana State Fairgrounds auction in Indianapolis in May.
Given the fact FCs were not built for more than a decade, and they were not particularly best sellers back then, makes a functional, good looking pickup such as this a rare find. Especially if you take into account the fact that it has only a little over 40,000 miles since new, of which only 200 miles were made since the restoration was completed.
There is no estimate as to how much the pickup here is expected to fetch during the auction, but the fact it comes with all the required paperwork, including photos of the restoration, is a sign big bucks will be paid for it.
That was mostly due to the way it was built. Because of the short wheelbase it used, placing a 6-foot pickup bed at the rear meant Willys had to push the cab forward, over the engine, hence the Forward Control designation. The short, tiny-looking Jeep pickup could be fitted with a variety of equipment, from utility boxes to wrecker hooks, making it ideal for use in a variety of fields, including as ambulances and fire trucks.
The one you see in the gallery above is a Forward Control of the FC-150 variety that was restored in 2013. It is currently on the lot of cars scheduled to sell during the Mecum Indiana State Fairgrounds auction in Indianapolis in May.
Given the fact FCs were not built for more than a decade, and they were not particularly best sellers back then, makes a functional, good looking pickup such as this a rare find. Especially if you take into account the fact that it has only a little over 40,000 miles since new, of which only 200 miles were made since the restoration was completed.
There is no estimate as to how much the pickup here is expected to fetch during the auction, but the fact it comes with all the required paperwork, including photos of the restoration, is a sign big bucks will be paid for it.
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