Whether this work truck actually worked for C. E. Choat and Company Wholesale Confectionary, we don’t know. But it looks pretty authentic.
1942 GMC Truck (Photo: Garry Sowerby)
The 1942 GMC Truck is a rarity in the automotive world and one of the most iconic American pickup trucks ever produced.
In January 1942, when the United States entered World War II, production of vehicles for the general public stopped. Production actually continued however until February, but the small numbers of trucks built were ‘drafted’ into the military. GMC ended up being the U.S.’s largest producer of vehicles for the war effort.
Only 855 GMC Trucks were built that year so this well-maintained gem is a rare find.
Most trucks of the day were for commercial use and the beds were equipped with the stakeside configuration. This 1942 GMC Truck, spotted at Vernon’s Thunderbird Diner in Hammonds Plains, NS, has the regular bed with a tailgate that was said to be built to outlast the truck!
The 1942 GMC Truck was powered by a standard 228 CID straight-six engine that produced 90 horsepower, 174 lb-ft of torque and was mated to a three-speed transmission. You could opt for the ‘Load Master’ which offered 192 lb-ft of torque, or the available ‘Economy’ engine that only made 53 horsepower and 142 lb-ft torque, with a four-speed transmission.
