Author: B. Mitchell Carlson

B. Mitchell Carlson has been an SCM contributor since 1998. Our resident truck guy, B. Mitchell has been writing about the vintage-truck market for 30 years. The first vehicle he ever drove was his father’s 1968 Ford F-100 pickup.

The Upmarket Maverick

In 1959, Ford bought the rights to use the name “Comet” from ambulance and hearse builder Cotner-Bevington’s Comet Coach Company, with high hopes for a new compact car that was to be sold by Edsel dealers. But with the Edsel line euthanized barely into early 1960 production, the new upmarket […]

1952 FWD F-Series Fire Truck

by B. Mitchell Carlson and Stuart Lenzke This FWD Pumper, Engine 2632, was in service as a front-line pumper until 2004, when it was replaced by a new pumper engine at the Baker Rural Fire Protection District in Baker City, OR. Department personnel bought the retired engine from the department. […]

1929 Ford Model A Roadster Pickup

Enduring older restoration of Ford’s iconic Model A Roadster pickup Well-preserved, attractive and ready to be enjoyed or put to work Accessories include a side-mounted spare and Atlas auxiliary water bag 200.5-ci L-Head 40-hp inline 4-cylinder engine 3-speed manual transmission Solid front axle with transverse leaf spring; live rear axle […]

Sifting the Auctions for Hidden Gems

The old saying of “Can’t see the forest for the trees” also applies to good deals at the Monterey Car Week auctions. Despite auction houses working to get high-end cars for record-setting sales prices, there are inevitably a few consignments that don’t fare as well as hoped. Throw in car […]

Benz Bones, Mopar Soul

The Chrysler-Maserati TC of 1989–91 may have been Lee Iacocca’s pet project, but it did show Chrysler a thing or two about trans-oceanic undertakings. But when the Crossfire was introduced at the 2001 North American Auto Show in Detroit, Chrysler wasn’t exactly calling the shots, thanks to the DaimlerChrysler merger. […]

1959 Studebaker 4E11D-122 4×4 pickup

245-ci 6-cylinder Commander engine 4-speed manual transmission Frame-off, nut-and-bolt rotisserie restoration Studebaker official demonstrator for the 1959 show circuit Copy of the original build sheet Factory NAPCO four-wheel-drive conversion Rare 19.5-inch wheels with severe-duty chromed hubcaps Rare factory under-dash AM radio Original Firestone All-Traction tires Optional locking gas cap and […]

DeLorean’s Italian Vega

When the Vega program was introduced in 1970, GM’s CEO Ed Cole also went forward with a program to build the Wankel rotary engine under license from NSU. The original intent was to offer it in a sporty new fastback hatchback design called the Monza 2+2 for 1973, and then […]

1972 International 1210 Travelette 4×4 pickup

This is a rare International Travelette 1210 4×4, ¾-ton, crew-cab short bed. A survivor California International, it features factory automatic, power steering, power brakes and air conditioning. It has matching numbers. Features include original IH-stamp bed bolts and military tires show-mounted on steel wheels with factory hubcaps. The original Line […]

If the Shoebox Six Fits

If you can call Henry Ford one thing, it’s persistent. His disdain of 6-cylinder engines dates to the teens of the last century, mostly out of spite of his competition. When Ford’s son Edsel pleaded with him to expand from the Model T and Model A 4-cylinder platform, Henry wouldn’t […]

1985 Ford F-150 XL 4×4 SWB pickup

302-ci EFI V8 engine SelectShift 3-speed automatic transmission Only 12,445 miles Short box 4×4 with lockout hubs Power steering Power brakes Air conditioning Dual exhaust Twin-traction-beam independent suspension Factory 15-inch sport wheels Upgraded Ford AM/FM/cassette stereo Original delivery paperwork Purchased new from Harry Holder Motor Co., Owensboro, KY