Don't overlook these classic workhorses
You know what's a lot of classic cars? 12,000.
And a car celebration where you can see that many vehicles is the Minnesota Street Rod Association's Back to the '50s weekend.
The annual festival is held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, located in St. Paul. This year boasted an impressive 11,943 registered participants.
Vehicles are limited to pre-1964 models, which makes for a truly unique experience. The spotlight-stealing Chevelles, Mustangs, Challengers and other muscle machines of the late '60s and early '70s are nowhere to be found. In their place are scores of other oft-forgotten but just as cool models.
I trekked through the acres and acres of vintage rides and was struck by the surplus of hardworking and seldom seen haulers on display. Here's a collection of my favorites.
The 44th Back to the '50s show will be June 23-25 next year. More info can be found at www.msrabacktothe50s.com.
<h3 class="leadin">1946 Studebaker M5
Over the state line in South Bend, Indiana, Studebaker was building not just cars but trucks, too. Their M-series trucks debuted just before World War II and saw extensive military action, particularly in the Asian theater. For those whose only campaigns were around-town errands, their M5 half-ton pickup could be drafted for service. This tangerine 1946 example was hard to miss with its orangy hue and wide whitewall tires.
<h3 class="leadin">1956 GMC 100
Hands-down, one of the prettiest trucks on site was this overhauled 1956 GMC 100. The retro-themed ride featured a turquoise and ivory, two-tone paint job and sparkling chrome details. Should the owner want to get down to business, there's a rebuilt '69 Chevy 396 big-block V-8 under hood. Chances are, the only hauling it'll do is carrying around numerous awards and accolades for its top-notch finish.
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1956 Ford F-250
Haulers like this 1956 Ford F-250 were designed for heavy duty jobs and as such, many weren't as well preserved as this green pickup with stake body bed. It showed clean, both inside and out, and still looked ready to put in a full day's work.
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1956 International Harvester Travelall
In the '50s, if you needed to move a ton of cargo or a bunch of people, you could easily snag one of Chevy's Suburbans. But for buyers who dared to be different, International Harvester had its Travelall model. It was a truck-based SUV and could be had with either two or three rows of passenger seats. This restored 1956 example looked ready for an adventure and attracted attention with its striking red and cream paint.
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1952 Chevy 3100 Suburban
This too-cool-for-school, 1952 Chevy Suburban got an A for effort with its presentation; it had no trouble turning heads. The sunshine yellow bus had been lowered and fully restored both inside and out and given a hot rod look.
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1954 International Harvester Metro
International Harvester's Metro step vans were used for delivering everything - from milk, to bread, to books and whatever else could fit inside. Underneath are IH drivetrain components while the body was built by the Metropolitan Body Co. out of Bridgeport, Connecticut. This '54 example wore a wicked coat of patina and some five-spoke wheels, making for one cool package.
• Share your car's story with Matt at auto@dailyherald.com.