Boise Street Sighting: Ford Model A

As a longtime fan of post-war cars, pre-war cars are another item entirely; its not that I don't like them, per se, I just don't really know very much about vehicles made before 1940 or thereabouts. I do have a few favorites, though, and those all come from the Blue Oval. One of which is the legendary Ford Model A

In the early days of the automobile, Henry Ford made a killing in profits, mainly when he introduced the assembly line. His first major fruit came with the introduction of the Model T, and even though it was produced for eighteen years( 1908 through 1926), its successor would really put Ford on the map forever; like its Model T forebear, the A was also available in a wide range of bodystyles, and since so many were sold, and back then, cars had to travel much rougher terrain than their modern counterparts, the Model A doubled as the first successful SUV.

Coming in a wide range of bodies, the Model A truly was a car (or truck) for everyone. Two doors, Four doors, convertibles, pickups, you name it, one was available. It really is odd to see one model range be this comprehensive, but, really, up until the 1980s, that was the norm, and in Europe, its still common for a model range to be this comprehensive.

In the early days of hotrodding, Ford's venerable Model A proved to be a successful platform; likewise, the "A" was also a popular choice for auto restorers as well as enthusiasts of all ages. Case in point? The early As have been a staple in the Hot Wheels lineup since the 1970s. 

I hardly ever see vehicles this old, so I'm not going to whine about the condition too much; most of the Model As I see are either well-kept, decently restored, or have been chopped up and turned into various degrees of hot-roddisms.  This pickup is the antithesis of all that.

Baked in rust-coated stock body panels save for what looks like an aluminum hood, this old truck is in "as-used" condition, and would likely pass as a "used truck" in this region as late as the mid-1970s. After all, used late 1950s trucks are somewhat common in the dry Idaho climate.

Now, obviously, everything is stock, and the interior is about as bare-bones as it gets, but make no mistake, it is a truck--and is likely still a workhorse, even to this day.

I shot this in winter 2010 I believe, and I have not seen it since. I am glad I shot this for two reasons (besides the fact that I only have seen it once); I like roadster pickups, and this is a nice change from the rodded ones I see here at car shows.