January 13, 2012
Posted By : Barrett-Jackson

1940 Ford Truck

1940 Ford Truck

January 13, 2012
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

SATURDAY LOT #1235.1 1940 FORD PICKUP VIN 185557740

SATURDAY LOT #1235.1 1940 FORD PICKUP VIN 185557740

As the war in Europe occupied the nation’s attention in 1940, Ford ushered in the new decade with a fresh look, and Ford’s light truck emerged from the design studio as an instant hit.

Ford unleashed its chief designer, Eugene “Bob” Gregorie, for the all new pickup’s redesign. His design for the Lincoln Continental, inspired by Edsel Ford, is acclaimed by many as the most beautiful car ever built. Squint just a bit, and observers can see similarities between these two very different vehicles.

“Yes, I guess it’s the thing I’m better known for,” Gregorie said in an oral history interview in 1985. “It’s just a very small part of our work. I mean, when you think of the trucks and the buses and the thousands of other vehicles.”

Gregorie gave the all-new 1940 light-duty truck a crisp, clean “prow front” styling of the 1939-1940 passenger cars. The flowing grilles of the Lincoln, Ford passenger cars and the trucks follow the same concept.

The 1940 Fords also shared the first year for the modern sealed-beam headlights, arguably the most attractive headlight design of the prewar era. Gregorie devised a way to shell the headlights with a nacelle incorporating parking lights at the top. Painted the same color as fenders, they blended perfectly with the fenders’ curve in a distinctive fashion.

Ford also provided a number of improvements for its half-ton truck. The cab was widened providing car-like spaciousness and reinforced for increased rigidity, and windshield wipers were mounted on the cowl.

The rectangular instrument cluster resembled the instrumentation used in Ford’s cars. The truck retained the double-drop design frame used in Ford cars with X-member bracing made of heavier 10-gauge steel rather than 11-gauge but continued the leaf spring design that Ford had used since its early cars.

Ford offered an optional two tone paint scheme, achieved by painting the fenders black and the body a complementing color. Pin striping on the body was an option.

Although the truck had a fresh look, the spare tire sidemounted behind the passenger door cued to the past, and buyers could choose a four cylinder engine instead of the famous Flathead V8 although not many did.

The handsome styling and improved engineering rendered the 1940 Ford half-ton pickup a popular choice among new and used truck buyers in the 1940s.

The 1940 Ford pickup truck (Lot #1235.1) offered at No Reserve as part of the Tom Crook Collection at the 2012 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction is powered by a 221cid Flathead V8 matched to a 3-speed transmission. The truck is in better condition now than it was when it rolled off the assembly line.

The fastidious restoration of a good, original truck was accomplished by a former Boeing engineer now known for turning out 1,000-point vehicles. His work on the truck earned that perfect 1,000 points in arduous scrutiny by discerning judges of the Early Ford V8 Club. The team of judges scouring over their five-page judging sheet couldn’t find a single reason to take off even a tenth of a point.

It is rare for a vehicle under such rigorous inspection to score 1,000 points at an Early Ford V-8 Club National Meet.

Judging is held at these meets for the Dearborn Award, which is the ultimate award for a restoration. The goal is 1,000 points, but that is extremely hard to reach. Most get in the 990 range.

Judging teams, which are formed at the meets, rate the vehicle as a team. They check inside, outside, the engine compartment, running gear and more. The goal is to have a restoration “like Henry built it.” That means judges frown on an over-the-top restoration. For example, if the frame was painted in flat black, points will be deducted if it was repainted gloss black.

Some argue that a new vehicle leaving the Ford plant would not even score 1,000 points.

Crook said there has not been a perfect 1,000-point vehicle judged by the Early Ford V8 Club in the last couple of years. “This rig is for the individual who wants absolutely the best of the best,” he said.

The truck is finished in gray with the optional black fenders and optional leather seat. Virtually nobody trolling auto dealerships today in search of a pickup truck would think a heater is optional equipment, but that was the situation in 1940, and this truck has that rare option.

— By Richard Gray

Heritage Partners