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A Rare Collection of Vintage Trucks Goes Under the Hammer at Mecum's Gone Farmin' Event

Automotive gems can be found not only among classic cars but also among the workhorses of the trucking industry. A selection of 37 vintage trucks from the Hays Museum Antique Truck Collection will go to the Mecum’s upcoming Gone Farmin’ Spring Classic auction, slated for March 24-26 in East Moline, Illinois.
A rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming event 12 photos
Photo: Mecum
A rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming eventA rare collection of vintage trucks goes under the hammer at Mecum's Gone Farming event
Among the trucks in this collection, we count the rarest builds from Peterbilt, Fageol, Diamond T, Pierce-Arrow, Selden, Packard, and others, many of them being unique. The Hays collection lineup includes the only first-generation Peterbilt ever to be offered at auction: the 1939-40 Model 260GD 5-Ton Truck. Fewer than five trucks of this first-generation Peterbilt are likely to exist today. What’s really special about this one is that it was used as a benchmark to restore the Peterbilt that is currently on display at the company’s own headquarters in Texas.

If you look at the pictures in the gallery you will surely notice the beautiful yellow truck. It’s a 1918 Pierce-Arrow X-4 2-Ton Lumber Truck, another highlight of this amazing collection. It’s a complete and correctly restored example of an early Pierce-Arrow, and it was used to haul lumber to Fresno, California from a sawmill near Sequoia Park. Pierce-Arrow was one of the highest quality trucks on the market at the time, and also one of the first to use a worm-drive rear axle.

The 1903 Knox Three-Quarter Ton Stake Truck is one of the oldest trucks in the collection and, indeed, one of the oldest in existence today. This is the only known Knox truck with a single-cylinder engine. The threaded pins screwed into the cylinder jacket that allowed the engine to cool better earned it the name “Old Porcupine.”

All these trucks and others in the Hays Museum Antique Truck Collection are sold without reserve at the Gone Farmin’ Spring Classic event on March 25 in East Moline. Even if you are not a prospective buyer, you will not regret it visiting as a spectator. It would also make for a spectacular event for children who'd get to see this part of automotive history.
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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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