(Updated 9/25/2026) I’ve had GMC and Chevy trucks on the brain lately (along with Ferdinand Porsche’s war-time work, 1955 Hot Rod Magazines, and some vintage Road and Tracks), so when I saw this splendid GMC “cannonball” somewhere deep in Curtis Perry’s Photostream, I bit. And it’s got some stellar company, somewhere out in the West, Nevada most likely.
An older GMC COE is keeping it company.
Looks like the cannonball once earned its living in Iowa.
My favorite step van, an International Metro.
This Jeep pickup looks like it might be almost road-worthy.
A Dodge school bus.
With a stove pipe, and some fine curtains.
A Dodge Royal.
And a ’50s Chevy, whose Super Highway bias-ply tire looks fairly new, somewhat surprisingly.
re: The Dodge school bus…calling Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters.
Great patina on all of them. They don’t look abandoned…just parked for a while, and they look like it wouldn’t take much to get them back on the road.
Nice photographs and I quite like the Dodge school bus. Wonder how much harder it is to get the rear wheels off due to the fender skirts?
1953 Chevrolet.
Always liked the rounded off edges on the International Metro vans. Here’s one with lots of windows all around. I bet the owner always gets a chuckle from all the VW bus double takes.
The cannonball looks more like a bulldog than any truck Mack ever made. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those before, COEs are so cool
The low sun shining on these well weathered old relics give each photo a look of studio magic. Curtis Perry is quite a talented photographer.
1950 Chrysler Royal…not Dodge….
FLASH! The Font makes ‘Royal” look Cyrillic.
Lead image Cannonball looks like an HD long haul truck to have Budds all around, air horn means air brakes, wonder if its got the DD6-71?
If you zoom in you can see where it had a DIESEL badge just above the number badge, yes, undoubtedly a DD.
Some of the lighter GVW ‘Cannonballs’ used the 4-71 as well.
Never knew they were called Cannonball.
The purchasing department of the hospital/clinic in town used a box truck Cannonball into at least the 1990s. Cab was painted blue. Everyone called it the Blue Goose.
That Chevy looks like a 1953 210 model.
I too have a fondness for the International Metro Van. My favorite vehicle second only to the 1960-66 GMC pickup with the big block V6. I always say when I win the lottery my first purchase will be one of these 2.
Cannonball in action in an old Canadian TV series.
https://youtu.be/umvbqPUMoKg?si=yc2-4c3PIK-brs5t
Were those photos taken in Nelson, Nevada?
Great photo collection. I love cab over trucks and stepwise vans. My dad delivered bread to grocery stores daily in Chevy huge stepwise in the late 1950s and 1960s, maybe the 70s too. I can’t remember exactly when retired.
Excellent pics skillfully shot in complimentary lighting. All the vehicles have the right patina look, but the Metro is an all time favorite for me.
Nice old iron .
Hopefully waiting to be discovered and put back on the road, were I 20 years younger I’d love the Dodge school bus / camper rig, it’s small so easy to drive / park .
The ’53 Chevy ?210? looks like it might even be a backup vehicle .
-Nate