Featuring that bold green coloring, yet including a close rendition of the more modern signature Ford font, is a wonderful Ford Tractor Ferguson System double-sided porcelain sign of fered from The George & June Schaaf Tractor & Truck Museum. As Ford built a foundation on automobile production, it defined itself as a company without limitations and also of fered various products to those who might not have a dire need for around-town commuting, but instead required something to assist with rough and rugged laborious work on the farm. This original dealership sign aims to promote Ford’s “Ferguson System”—a design of implement linkage and hydraulics on tractors featuring technology that included a 3-point hitch system to assist farmers with pulling force. Decorated with an “Authorized Dealer Wheel-Less Implements” slogan and tractor silhouette in contrasting white, this advertisement was assembled to specifically target the product’s “farming man” demographic. Housed in its original frame and adorning a Ford Motor Co. makers mark, this attractive display measures 72-by-42 inches and is a stark reminder of what long-reaching arms Henry Ford and his automobile company utilized to gain popularity in every nook and cranny of the ever-growing United States of America. Ford once said, “There’s no use trying to pass a Ford because there’s always another one just ahead.” It was a clever statement, and one that held its weight among a population of individuals who each sought to own a piece of their own new technology—a rare accomplishment in a still infant industrial economy facing an initially high cost of entry to access America’s roadways. Ford’s ingenuity and determination made the goal much more achievable for millions of consumers, regardless of their occupations or social and economic position. Mass production via the assembly line and the desire to appeal to the entire population, not just the wealthy, led Ford to create the world-renowned Model-T, available for buyers far and wide for a starting price of just $250. While the Model T became an instantaneous success upon its introduction into the automobile market, selling more than 15 million units from 1913-27, the Ford Motor Company knew that there were other markets desperate for their own Model T “glory story,” and one of them was the realm of shippers and haulers. To fill the need, Ford expanded to include an early version of 98 // MECUM.COM what is today called the pickup truck. A beautiful example of one of Ford’s finest vehicles, this 1934 Ford Pickup was the answer that all back-breaking transpor ters of the 1930s were looking for. Painted in a stately green with black fenders and accents, this handsome Ford pickup houses a flathead V-8 engine, Stromberg 97 carburetor and even includes an extremely rare Ford accessory clock in the rearview mirror. All of the necessary accouterments are here, including a side-mounted spare tire, gleaming chrome bumper, sun visor, dual horns and a cowl vent for all the consumer’s comfort needs. As the promise of the wondrous Model T grew into measurable success, the labor force finally had its own gift of affordable and technologically advanced transportation to serve its specific needs: a means to haul workers and supplies with great efficiency to fuel and sustain a rapidly growing economy. From here, it was undeniable—the Ford Motor Company was gaining the reach that every business of the time aimed to accomplish, and it was nowhere near finished. Schaaf ’s 1937 Ford Pickup is an advanced version of the ‘34, housing the same flathead V-8 and Stromberg 97 carburetor yet built with extremely rare Grancor high-performance heads crafted by the Granatelli Corporation. Also included in the redesigned pickup is a 3-speed manual transmission, Banjo steering wheel, wooden bed floor, chrome trim and bias-ply wide whitewall tires (including side-mounted spares), all tied together with gorgeous maroon paint and custom pinstriping. There were more than 58 million vehicles sold throughout the United States in just the 1950s alone—a number that represented a huge inflation from only 30 years prior. To compete with the growing list of auto manufacturers, Ford followed the influence of 1950s fashion and youthful interests by focusing on style rather than pure functionality. Producing the first major postwar American car line with the release of the 1949 Ford “Shoebox,” Ford continued delivering this popular model into the golden age of the 1950s. This 1951 Ford Business Coupe offered from The George & June Schaaf Tractor & Truck Museum is a rare “Shoebox” coupe that is a defining example of 1950s class. Clad in two-tone blue and silver paint with wide whitewall tires and an exquisite gray interior, this early ‘50s classic is a statement piece and one that rarely goes unnoticed.
