Collector Car Corner/Cars We Remember; Panel wagons, pickups and delivery trucks are now high dollar collectibles

Q: Greg I’m one of your regular readers and enjoy your nostalgic memories. I also grew up in the 1950s and 1960s and remember you once wrote a column about pickup trucks and delivery vehicles and mentioned your dad, an artist of whom I have several of his limited edition train prints. 

As you know, trying to find a nice truck today at a reasonable cost is difficult, especially the pickups. Can you do a revisit of the column you did years ago with updates? Thanks again for the great nostalgic memories. Charles L., Danville, Pa.

A: Thanks Charles for all your kind words, especially of my dad. One thing that has changed the most since I last wrote about pickups you already address in your letter, specifically the price.

Never in my lifetime have I seen such a huge increase in the value and pricing of all trucks, including collectibles, used and new pickups. All you have to do is look at any televised auction from Mecum or Barrett-Jackson and you’ll see how costly and valuable these pickups are nowadays. Further, when you add the current new truck inventory woes to the equations (along with cars, too), even the non-collectible pickup trucks have zoomed in pricing.  

These older pickups and delivery vans bring back memories of both my love of cars and trucks and my late father, Michael T. Zyla. My dad became a noted artist later in his life when he published five collector art prints centered on trains and his hometown of Shamokin, Pa. However, I say “later in life” only because after he retired, that’s when he went to work on some serious art work after being an artist in the Army during WWII and lettering and design specialist his entire adult life. 

Back in 1955 at the age of six, I sat in our garage on Main St., in Ranshaw, Pa., mesmerized at the new 1955 Chevy sedan delivery sitting in front of me. My dad was hand lettering this brand new truck for a local business, namely Ned Stank Electric also in our hometown. The sedan delivery was finished in black with shiny hubcaps and my dad used high gloss yellow paint to letter the name, address and phone number on the side and doors. At the time, Ned Stank was the largest business in our little hometown of Ranshaw, the latter known as a small coal patch and also known as Brady. Ranshaw was smack in the middle of three large coal mining collieries and several small “outlaw” independents that operated as close as 1,000-feet from where we lived.

Back to the 1955 Chevy panel wagon.   

My dad explained to me that this specific panel sedan delivery was built on a normal ’55 Chevy car/station wagon frame but did not have side windows or any seats other than in the front. That was my first experience of any type of panel sedan delivery that I can remember although I did recall other, more formal delivery trucks of the era. Even at my young age, that ’55 Chevy looked like a station wagon but was actually a delivery vehicle. 

With this vivid memory still playing in my mind, I’m sure we both agree that here in 2022, the popularity of all types of panel sedan trucks and pickup trucks are growing in popularity and proven by the money spent on them by truck enthusiasts. These 1950 to 1960 vehicles were low on amenities, but are still commanding well over $35,000 and up in great condition. 

As for your love of the panel trucks, most popular back then were the Chevy / GMC and Ford varieties, with Dodge, International, and Studebaker also notable. These panel and smaller delivery trucks were very popular because back then the smaller vans that would eventually replace the “car-like” delivery panels were just starting to arrive on the scene. 

Although full-size delivery vans were then the number one choice of many companies, ala the 1960 F-100 Series Ford. These vehicles would also share lighter duty hauling with the smaller, car-like station wagon sedan delivery units that popped up quickly. In 1961, even the new compact Ford Falcon that debuted in 1960 joined the fray with a small pickup Ranchero and new Sedan Delivery. Both were very popular additions to the Falcon line and led to many manufacturers copying their success.

Not surprisingly, all of these panel delivery trucks, from full size to compact, were similar in that they were built with no seating other than the driver and a passenger seat. Likewise, the many full-size station wagons were quickly turned into delivery wagons by removing the side windows and rear seating. In the early 1970s, even the Chevy Vega and Ford Pinto offered panel wagons that to this day are popular, lower cost entries into the world of collectible trucks. 

More current are the Chevrolet HHR (high heritage roof) and Chrysler PT Cruiser conversions, which were both created by noted car designer Bryan Nesbitt. These now out of production little car / truck / wagons became instant hits when retrofitted in sedan delivery livery and utilized by countless companies for light-duty deliveries. 

Additionally, the original delivery panel trucks I also wrote about years ago (IH Metro) did have competition as Chevy, Ford and Willys come quickly to mind. However, unlike the light duty Metro, I remember the heavy duty Ford Delivery vans that came in P350 to P600 series builds with dual rear wheels and heavier load capability. (See photo attached). 

Additionally, the 1956 Chevrolet Task Force Truck attached advertisement best exemplifies how the major manufacturers promoted their truck line. Everything from light-duty panels to the bigger delivery trucks were clearly explained in detail including haul capacities and cargo information.   

In summary, sedan deliveries and delivery panel trucks came in all shapes and sizes, from the converted station wagons (even the Studebaker Lark had one in 1960) to the real big bruisers from Chevy, Dodge and Ford that were common sights on our nation’s highways.  

I agree that trying to find a nice panel / delivery truck these days is tough. I also surmise that this category of delivery truck usually ended up at the auto crusher junkyard way before any real collectors started gobbling them up. Thus, with fewer units available it takes top dollar these days to own a nice or restored example and for this reason alone panel trucks from 1948 through 1965 are now enjoying special status at car shows and auctions everywhere. 

Thanks much for your letter Charles and your memories of my dad, too. It is very much appreciated.

(Greg Zyla is a syndicated automotive columnist who welcomes reader questions and input on collector vehicles and auto nostalgia at greg@gregzyla.com.)