Let’s take a look at this vintage carrier, loaded with a good assortment of Dearborn products. There was no information about this image’s location, but those hills seem to say California to me. The Western Pacific Railroad pole in the foreground seems to support that idea.
As can be seen, there’s a decent array of offerings, from the basic to the sporty to the luxurious. So, there’s much to choose from this lot of early ’70s models (’72-’73). And for those who wish for a bit more variety, only the red Dodge D-Series truck on the left brings some. And well, there’s that yet-more-vintage Mustang further back. But that always remains in Dearborn territory.
I like the Ford branding on this trailer. Adds to the professionalism. Trailers could have had aluminum frames for inserting boards with manufacturer’s logos, depending upon the car load. Like transit bus side advertising. Though, it might be an easy target of vandalism or graffiti, when parked at a truck stop.
I’ll take, the Mustang Mach 1.
The product mix suggests a load of vehicles for a company operated exhibition. The only source for Lincolns was Wixom. It’s weird if a transporter picked up one sedan and one Mark IV at Wixom for a dealer, but more plausible if rail cars were sent west and trailers were loaded with a random mix for delivery to a specific town.
High end brands often use enclosed delivery trucks now with no branding, or specialized enclosed delivery services. I frequently see loads of new Corvettes that are individually wrapped on open haulers.
That is quite an assortment, one of everything to go…!!! In South park Virginia on i95 sits an old rusty gm car hauler with a couple of rusty old Chevys on the trailer.. Still haven’t managed to get a pic.. Saw this at a car show last week though, very cool… Old brockway on a newer chassis and a 59 Buick and hot rod cargo…
I’ll also note that what you got in that picture aside from the cool old hauler is the exact same car that I photographed for an article I did here about 2 years ago!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/car-art/curbside-art-brut/
While it came up in the comments that Cadillac conversion campers were a thing at one time, it seems pretty clear to me that the one I photographed is the same as the one in your picture (same hood patina, etc.).
Where did you take this picture? Mine was in upstate NY. I had no idea that that vehicle could actually move!
Hey Jeff, yeah I live in Poughkeepsie N.Y. In the mid Hudson valley region. This guy has a hot rod shop around the saugerties area. This was at a show two weeks ago in Kingston ny. he actually polished up the camper end now.. Nice and shiny.. I was attending with my 63 comet convertible..
Yep, actually Saugerties proper. It all makes sense now to know that those cars that I found and photographed for my post were part of a hot rod shop’s collection. Good thing to see that he got that Buick cleaned up too!
Love the Mercury Marquis. Dark green with a white vinyl roof looks great on this car. Looks like a 1974.
I’m so glad I didn’t have one of those vehicles.
Really – not a one.
My father and uncle were working for Ford during these years, and I just looked the other way when they spoke about the cool cars they were building. Or rolled my eyes.
I certainly don’t recognize the specific location, but based on the hills in the background, and the orientation of the tracks, it might be near the San Jose assembly plant (actually in Milpitas, I think) which shut down in the eighties and is now a shopping mall. Which itself may shut down based on the history of similar malls in the area. . That plant did build Pinto’s, Mustangs (and later Mustang II’s) and Torino’s as well as F series pickups.
dman, I think you are correct about the location. The Ford plant is now a shopping mall. Not far from the old plant is rail/automobile yard still in use today by Union Pacific. The UP took over the Western Pacific about 83ish. This could explain the Wixom vehicles, brought in via rail to the yard for distribution.
I’m pretty sure these cars are all 1972 models. The Continental appears to have the toned-down kick up on the rear door rather than the flowing hips seem in the 1971 model. And none of these cars have the 1973-on 5 mph front bumpers.
Some of these might be fun to drive or ride in, if only for nostalgia’s sake, for the 1972 models were the last ones to be built before all the emissions and safety regulations really started to significantly impact performance.
I agree – definitely 1972 models. The bold eggcrate grille on the Marquis is the giveaway.
I’d like to see the “Bobcat” better.
From a Pinto to a Mark IV – this truck was the alpha and omega of the FoMoCo range.
I remember that super-pale baby blue on Lincolns of that era, and how my father came close to choosing one one time. Before my step-mom put the kibosh on it. Yet another white car for Dad was the result.
I can smell the creosote in this photo. Interesting contrast between the state-of-the-art railroad crossing gate and lights, and the seeming 1920s-1930s era wooden crossing sign in the foreground.
The truck appears to have a single rear axle. May be a Ford F600 medium truck.
Yes…when did they stop selling those “railroad ties” as landscaping timber….there are several homes that still have (greatly degraded) ones as the replacements are much smaller cross section and the abutment would need to be redone else replace one of these old ones with several of the new smaller ones.
I’m guessing these stopped being sold sometime in the 80’s…by late 90’s I built a planter and the only ones available were the new (smaller cross section) ones so the project needed more of them to occupy the same space.
Also wonder when smudgepots disappeared…used to see them all over road construction areas but probably sometime in the 70’s they went away.
I’m wondering if this was near the Milpitas Ford plant. If the cars were headed to something like the SF Auto Show maybe the Lincoln’s and some of the others were shipped by rail to Milpitas then loaded up on the transporter to bring them to the final destination.
Is that a red Mustang on the top row of the carrier?? Even thought its a bloated Mustang, I have a sweet spot for these. Just got my driver’s license around this time and it was the car to have.
Ended up with a VW Beetle….I can still dream!!