Engine No. A4174677

USPS No. 10205

Ford was, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the foremost supplier of delivery trucks to the United States Post Office, accounting for nearly 65 percent of the USPS fleet. Unsurprisingly most of these trucks were driven into the ground over decades of service; few original examples survive and fewer still have survived without modification, one of which is housed in the Smithsonian.

Truck no. 10205, offered here, was discovered in the early 1960s by Model A enthusiast, Jack A. Dixon of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, being used for storage in a local junkyard following service delivering the mail in the Huntingdon area. Mr. Dixon undertook a complete restoration, preserving as much of the original body woodwork as possible, replacing what was required, and recreating the correct livery, including gold U.S. Mail lettering and the original truck number, as well as period-correct military recruiting posters on the rear quarters. The original green paint color was matched to original finish found under the vinyl seat, and missing pieces of hardware were carefully sourced, including correct back door screens from another postal truck that had been converted to a chicken coop. Restoration was completed in 1967 but Mr. Dixon continued to refine it over the years, further upgrading its authenticity with items such as a correct padlock for the rear door.

Mr. Taylor's father took early Kodak 8mm movies of a similar postal truck in Gloversville in the 1940s; Mr. Taylor always loved those films, and subsequently bought this one in 2008. The truck records 1,007 miles at the time of cataloging. It is now older in presentation but still very satisfying in its appearance, and is accompanied by an extensive history file including Mr. Dixon's documentation of research into its history and finishes. Charming and nostalgic, this vintage mail truck, one of the best-known, most correct survivors of its type, will be a fun conversation piece in any collection it joins.