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The 10 All-Time Most Attactive Pickup Trucks


Dave@Moon

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This is just my list. I figure I can't do much worse than Business Week.

Each are dedicated pickup truck bodies, no car-clones like the El Camino need apply. Also designs are evaluated for beauty only, and for me that means an elegant/flowing character.

1. 1995-7 Ford Ranger. Yeah, I know. It's because I have one. Still the 1995 restyle of the Ranger created what I think is the most Jaguar-like truck styling ever. It really needs the side moulding for the design to work, however.

2. 1997 Dodge Dakota. New design in '97 with similar Jaguar-like appearance. The tapered look of the cab I find especially nice. It loses points for the fake fog lights on the lower-line models, however.

3. 1935/36 Ford. Classic lines applied to the pickup form. If the hood were 6" longer it could pass for a Lincoln truck.

4. 1963 Jeep Gladiator. Blocky, but handsome with the simple vertical grille. This is one truck that looks better stripped than loaded with options.

5. 1967-69 Ford. Ditto, although this truck needs a chrome grille to really look good.

6. 1938/39 Diamond T. If Buick made a pickup.....

7. 1967/68 Chevy. An elegant design, something you can't say about many trucks. GM somehow let this one go without the usual "tough-guy" appliques that many of their trucks get.

8. 1972-1977 Datsun 620. The first mini-truck that looked like somebody cared what it looked like.

9. 1972/73 International. The divided grill restyle (2 years only) made this blocky design look sophisticated. Before and after it resembled a bar of soap.

10. 1955/56 Chevy. The Ferrari of truck design.

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Guest Hinckley

For more than thirty years pick up trucks have dominated our stable. So ...

1) Advance Design series Chevies (1948-1953)

2) 1935-1936 REO

3) 1942 - 1946 Chevrolet

4) 1955 - 1956 Ford

5) 1950 Studebaker

6) 1937 (?) Corbitt trucks, utilized Auburn body dies

7) post war Dodge Power Wagon - has there ever been a tougher looking truck?

8) Chevy Cameo

9) Dodge Sweptside

10) 1936 Ford

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Here is my ten

1) 1955-56 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier

2) 1955-57 GMC Suburban Carrier

3) 1957 International Golden Anniversay

4) 1937-39 Studebaker

5) 1953-56 Ford F-100

6) 1957-59 Dodge Sweptside

7) 1948-43 Chevrolet

8) 1963-65 Ford Falcon Ranchero

9) 1957-59 Ford Ranchero

10) 1964-65 Chevrolet ElCamino

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OK, now here is a topic I like and have some experience with:

My top 10 pickups:

#1 1935 Ford V8 Pickup (not the 36 because it didn't have wire wheels)

#2 1959 Chevrolet El Camino

#3 1929 Ford Model A Roadster Pickup

#4 1940 Ford Commercial Car (renamed pickup with car front)

#5 1934 Ford V8 Pickup

#6 1957 Ford Ranchero

#7 1956 Dodge Sweepside Pickup

#8 1979 GMC Caballero (El Camino dressed up by GMC)

#9 1979 Chevrolet Silverado

#10 1972 Cadillac Coupe De Pickup

Classic lines of all of them are better than many cars.

Paul

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1955-59 Chevrolet, especially the Cameo

1955-59 GMC, expecially the Suburban

1937-39 Studebaker Express Coupe

1936 Mack/Reo

Any Diamond T pickup

Any Ford 1932-36 plus the opencab Model A's

1948-50 Ford

1953-55 Ford

1967-69 Ford

The current edition of the F-250 Super-Duty Crew Cab. That truck blends a combination of elegance and brawn that no other pickup has ever came close to.

And it's a good thing that makes 10 because I don't know of another pickup that even comes close to making the list.

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My wife is an old farm truck fan. You know the stake bed back with step-sides and color would have to be green.

You know what would be neat if you all can link pictures to your favorites. That way I can show them to her and get her hooked and then maybe in the future I will have another project on my hands to do. That is once I finish up the Packard.

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Guest leroyboy

I think my 04 GMC ExCab K1500 Z-71 Stepside is the best truck I ever had. Not only the best looking but also the best running and handling. I'm going to keep it forever. Leroy

2004 Thunderbird

1948 CJ2A Willys / 289 Powered

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ttiwwop-1.gif

Yeah, yeah, yeah..... :)

I ain't talking no show trucks here, just the design. This is me visiting my money (@ The Roadster Factory, the country's premier Triumph parts supplier in Armagh, PA) on the way home from Hershey this year in my Ranger. I've been driving it for more than 13 years now, and this is what it looks like after I've been living in it for 3 days.

I've never bought a new vehicle for what it looked like in my life, but if I was shopping pickups in 1996 again using that criteria I'd buy the same truck.:cool:

post-30638-143138129981_thumb.jpg

Edited by Dave@Moon (see edit history)
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Guest DeSoto Frank

In no particular order:

'65 Ford F-100 & F-200 long-box, fleet-side.

'41-'49 K /KB International

'37-'40 D series International

'49-'53 Studebaker

'47-'53 Chevy / GMC "Advance Design"

'39-'40 Dodge ( Before the headlights moved out to the fender-crowns)

'40-'47 Hudson Big-Boy pick-up ( long, low and sleek!)

'38 Willys pick-up

'34-'37 International C-series

'39-'40 Chevrolet

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..... This is me visiting my money (@ The Roadster Factory, the country's premier Triumph parts supplier in Armagh, PA) on the way home from Hershey this year in my Ranger. I've been driving it for more than 13 years now, and this is what it looks like after I've been living in it for 3 days.

First, nice looking Ranger.

Second, you might want to check the indentification line on your photo. It says Hershey 2010. Unless you time travel.......:rolleyes::D

My step-daughter bought this Ranger from her sister-in-law and she LOVED that truck. It didn't look like much and it pretty much only wanted to run for her. When we bought and delivered a Jeep Liberty to her I thought she was going to cry at losing her truck. So we went back up, the Ranger wouldn't fit in the car trailer with the spare mounted on the front and the bumpers on, to get it to bring back here for Bill to repair it. He worked on it all that summer and we delivered it back for her son to drive during his Junior and Senior years of high school. It died for good shortly after that. The photo was taken 1-25-05 to show how deep the snow was in West Acton, Mass. where they lived at the time.

post-36313-143138130077_thumb.jpg

Edited by Shop Rat (see edit history)
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Not sure I can come up with 10 but here are some of my favorites.

1948-50 Ford Bonus Build

Any of the flat Fender Jeep Pickups

Studebaker Champs

Any Model A PU

1955-57 Chevy PU

and even though the owner of the thread said no car based PUs I will list some as a sub list:

1946-47 Crosley Roundside PU

Any Hudson Pickup

1957 Ranchero

1966 Ranchero

1972 Ranchero

Guess I have made my 10.

As a bonus I would have to add my Crosley FarmOroad Pickup but most people don't recognize it as a truck. Mine is licensed as a Commercial Vehicle in NY, I had to push the GVW up to 2000lb before the DMV computer would take it.

Here is a picture of my Dad pulling his Air Stream with the FarmOroad a few years back.

FOR-AS.jpg

And in the spirit I finally bought the top one on my list, I will be bring it home over Thanksgiving.

F1-15.jpg

It is an 1950 F1 Stake.

I of course have the 66 Ranchero, I still like it's style but the F1 is pushing it out of the collection.

Ranchero-FP-sm.jpg

I still have room for the 47 Crosley Roundside if I find one.

2008CAC_214.jpg

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Guest Skyking

Dandy Dave, I have to agree with you on the '57 Dodge Sweptsides as being the prettiest trucks...........I love those fins. My vote also goes to the 1994 to present Dodge Rams. They have a look I like, and I also own one.

post-30819-143138130178_thumb.jpg

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Great Thread Dave. Only five jump to the front for me. Attractive, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder, so this is my opinion and we can't argue about it.

1. The 37 to 39 Studebaker Coupe Express, with factory yellow and side mount is a stunning pickup. You could take a cleaned up bone stock truck to a hot rod show and get rave reviews.

IMG_1009.jpg

2. The 49 Studebaker R Series pickup. Bob Bourke was the first designer to eliminate running boards on a pickup truck. I could of had this 54 at Hershey for $6700. I'm convinced that this is the design that was used as the basis for my 2004 Dodge Ram pickup. An endlessly attactive design.

IMG_3286.jpg

3. The Model A Pickup. I just think they are cool.

IMG_3045.jpg

4. The 57 Ford Ranchero. (I broke a rule picking a car truck. Twice now.) When I was growing up, my Dad traded a sad Case of a tractor for a 59 Ranchero that we used as a parts runner and service truck. The 58 that was at Hershey this year has 57 tail lights, but they were all made that way. I think the 57s with the single headlights, little fins and short beds could be pretty little trucks. This one could be nice after a couple hundred hours under a welding hood.

IMG_3111.jpg

5. 56 Ford. A number of us have picked the 56 Ford pickup. This is one of the few times that I am willing to run with the herd. 56 Ford trucks are just too cool. I don't have a good picture to post.

6. 49 Ford Pickup. Pretty truck.

49FordF1.jpg

Bill

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Guest DeSoto Frank

Couple more ideas -

The 1960-'64 (?) Ford "unit-body" pick-ups ( box is one unit with the cab)

1948-'52 Ford

'28-'29 Ford AA "Express Truck" ( Like the one on "The Waltons" )

'33-'39 Hudson - Terraplane pick-ups.

'33-'35 Chevy 1/2-ton

'33-'35 Dodge ( gotta love the "suicide" doors!)

'42-'48 Nash pick-up ( there were at least protoypes; Ambassador chassis)

'26-'27 Model T "roadster-pickup" (wire-wheels, please ! )

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A lot of you guys are cheating on the concept here. My list included no car body sourced trucks. I don't think there's any way a "real truck" could compete aesthetically with a Ranchero, El Camino, Hudson/Terraplane, or other "trucks" where the front clip comes right off of the passenger car line. Of course those vehicles look better. Cars have to. The appearance of trucks was never the priority it was for cars (excepting maybe the last 10 years).

One exception: those LTD II sourced Rancheros from the late 1970s. They were a design disaster as cars, let alone carving the back out into a pickup!:eek:

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Guest ken bogren

1: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

2: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

3: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

4: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

5: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

6: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

7: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

8: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

9: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

10: 1961 Ford F-100 Unibody

The fact that I own one of these has no bearing on any obvious bias on my part.

:)

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Guest DeSoto Frank

I'll defend the "car-based" trucks such as the Stude "Coupe Express", Hudson - Terraplane trucks, Willys-Overland... they differ from the El Camino / Ranchero class vehicles in that they are "true" pick-ups, with a separate "express" box, as opposed to the "decapitated station-wagon" look of the EC / Rancho.

I would not include mutts like Chevy's "Expediter Coupe", and similar offerings from Stude and Hudson-Terraplane, that were essentially coupes with the deck=lid removed and a small pick-up box stuck in the opening... they are neat in their own right, but not true pick-ups.

And if we disqualify all trucks that shared sheetmetal with passenger cars, then there go the early Ford PUs ( B's, A's and T's)... and the '40 -'41 Ford PU too, I guess.

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Guest 63Stude

I have always liked the '56 Ford F-100, with its wraparound windshield. Same with the '61 and '62 Ford unibody F-100 pickup. '67 and '68 Chevy pickups look great. So does the '88 Chevy pickup (four square headlights). And I'll risk ridicule for this, but I also really like the '62-'64 Studebaker Champ pickup, 1/2 ton, with long, wide box. The box was used previously by Dodge and Studebaker revised the front box panel and tailgate (obviously). While the bed was too wide for the Studebaker cab, it gave them a box that would hold a 4' by 8' sheet of plywood (the 'standard' back then) and I believe the shape of the wheel openings and also the feature lines, actually match the Studebaker cab better than they did the Dodge cab it had been used on! If you look at a stock one, particularly with whitewalls and the stock Studebaker chrome moon hubcaps, it now looks contemporary compared to other pickups of the same era.

Bill

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Some of my favorites (non antique) are the Centurion series trucks that were authorized by both Ford and Chevy and sold at the dealership. Here is my 97 Chevy Centurion 4-door that was special made as 3 doors with an extended cab were the latest and greatest in the day.

post-30758-143138130671_thumb.jpg

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A lot of you guys are cheating on the concept here. My list included no car body sourced trucks. I don't think there's any way a "real truck" could compete aesthetically with a Ranchero, El Camino, Hudson/Terraplane, or other "trucks" where the front clip comes right off of the passenger car line. Of course those vehicles look better. Cars have to. The appearance of trucks was never the priority it was for cars (excepting maybe the last 10 years).

One exception: those LTD II sourced Rancheros from the late 1970s. They were a design disaster as cars, let alone carving the back out into a pickup!:eek:

I agree, Rancheros and ElCaminos are not pick ups. They are car based, and have way more in common with the car they are based on than a pick up.

However, I strongly disagree with the LTD II comment. The LTD II Rancheros were much sportier and more attractive than the Torino or Falcon based Rancheros except for the 1970-71 Torino Ranchero.

My vote for most attractive p/u is the 1957 Dodge Sweptside

Edited by LINC400 (see edit history)
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