by mncarspotter
The Swiss have had the most enduring love for American cars in Europe, along with the Swedes. MOWAG, a Swiss firm that specialized in all sorts of limited-production trucks, military vehicles, fire engines and trollies long used Dodge trucks to convert to the local requirements. Dodge van 4×4 conversions, like this one, were a staple for quite some years. And the Dodge W300 was another, in various forms for fire department use. This one looks to be some sort of utility vehicle.
Not surprisingly, it’s exceptionally well preserved. One wouldn’t expect anything less from the Swiss. And now it’s being used by Der Schlüsseldoktor (The Key Doctor).
It’s obvious the Swiss know a good truck when they see it. This Dodge easily has another 55 years in it.
While this happened about fifteen years ago, early one morning the City of North Kansas City had a street sweeper out doing its job. The then forty year old sweeper was based upon a Dodge of this vintage.
I’m now wondering if a slant six or 318 resides under the hood.
318, actually. The Swiss like power!
Very neat — and for some reason I think one of our local locksmiths here drives a vintage van as well, so maybe that’s a characteristic common to to profession worldwide?
The example doesn’t appear to be Swiss any longer though — it has a German license plate from Nuremberg, and a Google search shows there’s a Der Schlüsseldoktor in Nuremberg as well.
Love it! Tom
Wow, that is a really cool truck!
Very nice.
Also quite original because a historic licence plate has been granted (–H)
see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Germany#Special_codes
That’s the first time I’ve seen the older generation Dodge as a fire engine, most of the ones around are the 70s-80s rounded cab style.
According to my good Swiss mate, Dougo – who, whilst loving his homeland, has long enjoyed, er, how to say, the less strict ways of living in Oz – ofcourse that Dodge is well-preserved.
The Swiss are far too organized to allow fires.
I instantly recognise that intersection (Düsseldorfer Straße and Nordwestring) in the photo because I drove on that artery road many times when I lived in Nuremberg. The green cladded building in the background is one of the ice cream and frozen delicacies manufacturing plants owned by Nestelé Schöller.