Captivating with the favored fender skirts, front bumper guards and a unique driver spotlight, this “Shoebox” Ford was the ideal chariot for the young businessman or businesswoman looking for a car that could chauffeur them to meetings during the week and to drive-ins on the weekend; it’s a chameleon of an automobile that was up to the challenge of mixing work with play. Interestingly, the “Shoebox” Ford was only produced for three years between 1949-51 and was the very first line of Ford automobiles to hit the dealership floor after Edsel and Henry Ford’s deaths. So popular was this “Shoebox” coupe that more than 3 million models were produced in its short three-year run, as it was coveted by millions of Americans looking for more than just the average to-and-from automobile. The times were quickly changing, and Ford was on the cusp of each new trend. “Average” was far from the reputation Ford wanted to adopt, and in battling other automakers, it continued to develop and distinguish its automotive brand. In the agricul tural realm, deadly droughts of the 1950s brought turmoil to the American farming community, so much so, that thousands of irrigation wells were dug in an attempt to slow the decline of underground aquifers. When the drought recessed and crops improved at the beginning of the 1960s, Ford was ready to assist farmers with the tools needed to make up the lost time and resources. A rare machine hailing from the Schaaf collection, this 1962 Ford County Super 6 Tractor was one of these Ford-supplied tools. Built from 1962-65, this model variation is one of only 18 shipped to the U.S. and houses a 6-cylinder, 6.6L diesel engine providing 96 HP. With an 8-speed Synchro transmission, 3-point hitch, power steering and 4-wheel drive, this Ford County Super 6 was a machine designed to help dig farmers out of desolate months of worry and cropless bounties. By the early 1970s, farming had further recovered, and Ford continued to offer tools to simplify daunting work, such as Schaaf’s 1969 Ford County 754, which was based on the Ford 5000. Benefiting from a complete restoration, this tractor houses a Ford 4.2L, 4-cylinder 75 HP diesel engine, 8-speed Synchro transmission, 3-point hitch, power steering and 4-wheel drive, and it’s prepared to do exactly what it was intended for when it first rolled off of Ford’s production line: go great lengths to accomplish tasks more efficiently with less back-breaking effort. Since the inception of the automobile, hundreds of manufacturers have fallen victim to defeat and were forced to close their doors as recessions, a lack of resources and bad decision-making took their toll. The Ford Motor Company is one of few automotive giants that managed to escape this ill fate. Through good judgment, constant innovation and continuously aiming to serve loyal consumers, Ford grew into the worldwide entity it is today and is still working toward the goals that Henry Ford originally established: to be a dependable, personalized product line that appeals to any and all. The George & June Schaaf Tractor & Truck Museum encapsulates these beliefs through its curation of some of the most interesting displays of Ford Motor Co. rarities, and it’s prepared now to offer them to lucky bidders in hopes of garnering the same appreciation by those who adore the blue and white oval brand. Bidders can expect an enticing display of Ford goods, including an outrageously cool 1930 Ford Model A Wrecker—a roadster pickup restored as a wrecker with a 3-ton Weaver Auto Crane, towing and emergency lights, Boyce Moto-Meter and completed with a Standard Oil Company theme—and also a modern redesign of the original Ford Thunderbird Convertible in Thunderbird Blue with 3,131 original miles, housing a 3.9L V-8 engine, automatic transmission and color-matching porthole top, to name just a few more. For an exciting opportunity to be a part of the auction action or to witness these magnificent Ford pieces exchange hands, be sure to be in at tendance for Mecum’s on-site auction of The George & June Schaaf Tractor & Truck Museum in Frankfort, Illinois, September 30-October 1, 2022. OFFERED SEPTEMBER 30-OCTOBER 1 FROM THE GEORGE & JUNE SCHAAF TRACTOR & TRUCK MUSEUM MECUM.COM // 99
