One Bed, Two Doors, All Style.
Often at Department of Style events, people ask us about our official vehicle, The Truck.
Usually intrigued, often curious, and almost always appreciative, they wonder how it came to be in our possession.
The answer is simple. It had to be. That is to say, having always wanted something that was stylish, practical, and lest we forget, fun, well, when The Truck came along at the right time and the right price, we pounced.
Who hasn’t even for a fleeting moment not gazed with longing at a classic vehicle as it rounded the corner on a summer’s day? After years of doing the same, and finally acting upon those urges, we’re here report that owning and driving one of these mechanical works of art is far, far more fulfilling than you could ever imagine. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be behind the wheel, to wave at passersby, and to nod appreciatively at fellow classic car owners? Take that feeling and multiply it exponentially.
The 1941 Ford Truck manages to embody many of The Department’s core values. With classic styling, it comes from an age when the finest minds designed things made for everyday living. It melds graceful, sensuous body lines with a back roads practically. The roof of the cab seems ridiculously vaulted by today’s standards, but when you realize that it was built to accommodate a driver and a passenger wearing proper high-crowned fedoras, then it all becomes clear. It is practical in its purpose and yet wonderfully extravagant in its form.
At the same time the slightly updated drive train (1969) makes it road worthy enough that an out of town Style Sortie is more about packing lunch than worrying about breakdowns. We make sure there’s a little extra oil and a jerry can of gas just in case, and we’re off. It hasn’t failed us yet.
Not everyone dreams of a 1941 Ford Truck, of course. Some gaze longingly at a Mercedes 450SL, an old Triumph, a boxy 1970’s Audi, Datsun, or Volkswagen bus, a classic Italian scooter, a Citroen Traction Avant, or just a big old comfy chunk of American family car steel that makes you feel good to drive.
At The Department of Style, we’re all about possibilities. We’re here to bear witness to the reality that with a little patience, a trained eye, and a some stealth, the car of your dreams need not roll by you forever.
Technical Specs:
- Body: 1941 Ford 1 Ton cab and front end (1 ton the same cab as the 1/2 ton of the same era but with a different front end and exposed headlights)
- Chassis: 1969 Chevrolet pickup
- Bed: sides are 1947 Chevrolet; floor is sawmill cut pine barn boards, hand finished, stained and weather sealed
- Drive train: 1969 Chevrolet straight six motor (allegedly indestructible)
- Front clip: 1969 Chevrolet truck
- Colour: Ford maroon
- Interior: 1975 Vega seats, 1977 Gremlin instrument panel, Volkswagen Beetle floor mats
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