FREE REVS MATT AVERY Matt is the Executive Producer of TheTransmission.com, a site dedicated to passion- driven car news, insight and road-going stories. After stints as a repair technician for both BMW and Mercedes-Benz, he acquired a B.S. Degree in Film and moved into automotive journalism. He wrote for the TV show “MotorWeek” before joining the Cars.com editorial team, working as the senior video producer. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Midwest Automotive Media Association and writes the long-running “Classic Recollections” car feature in the “Chicago Daily Herald.” Matt’s new book “COPO” documents Chevrolet’s ultimate muscle cars. HAULING HEIRLOOMS By his own admission, Paul “Pops” Gilligan of Vancouver, Washington, is all-out fixated on one thing: 1940 Ford pickups. For that, he has four older brothers to thank. “Growing up, there was always cool Hot Rods showing up to the house,” Gilligan recalled. Most of those machines had one thing in common—a bed. One brother had a 1934 Ford pickup, while another, Tom, owned a 1940 Chevrolet pickup. Through an unusual turn of events, Tom’s hauler suddenly left the family. “When he left for college at Oregon State, Dad drove it to work one day in Portland,” Gilligan explained with a laugh. “He stopped by the Chevrolet dealership to look at new cars. A salesman offered him good money for it, and sure enough, Dad left it there. He thought he was doing my brother a favor when he gave him the $500.” Despite the proximity to pickups, it was a neighbor who dialed in Gilligan’s proclivity for 1940 Fords. “He drove one every day, delivering beer,” Gilligan recalled. “I got stuck on it as a little kid and always wanted one of my own.” Gilligan soon acquired his first truck, which led to another, to another and then many more. All told, Gilligan has owned more than 25 different 1940 Ford trucks, and in recent years, they’ve had a way of finding him. In 2004, a friend reached out, offering him a 1940 cab in exchange for help in moving a project vehicle of his own. Gilligan obliged and came home with the bones of a new build. The enthusiast began pounding the pavement, scouring local swap meets for what he needed. Sure enough, all the right pieces turned up, found across Oregon, Washington and Idaho. 112 • MECUM.COM
