1937 DODGE ½ TON PICKUP

Truck production at Dodge, which was part of Chrysler Corporation, began in 1916. By 1937, as the US economy was beginning to recover from the Great Depression of the early 1930s, and when our half-ton pickup seen here was built, production had reached 121,917 light trucks and trucks.This was their highest pre-war sales volume. Trucks were sold as Dodge in the US and as Dodge, Fargo and De Soto in Canada. In 1937, the most significant development was the rearrangement of the ¾ Ton and 1 Ton capacity truck series. Following this arrangement, ½ Ton pickup body was used instead of  1 ½ Ton version in both series. The 201 cu.in. engine of 1936 was replaced by one of 218 cu.in., the 75 bhp Flat

Head Six (L-Head) T38 engine. Using 3-speed manual transmission, the 1937 models optionally offered a 4-speed manual transmission for an additional price of 25 Dollars. The work of Chrysler’s chief designer Ray Dietrich, the 1937 Dodge range introduced this MC pickup. The half-ton version is displayed in our Museum, with slight make-up of its cab, designed in 1936. The changes only done on the front grill, hood’s side trims and rims. The restoration inside the cab enabled a “safer”, simpler and plainer look for the dashboard that minimizes injuries in case of a crash. The gray color of the cab with interior covered with a carton-like material was also used in the dashboard to create a more attractive look. Offering a long list of accessories and options, these 1937 Dodge pickups featured, at extra charge, chrome wheel covers, chrome bumpers, a safety-glass windshield, two wipers, exterior mirror, chrome front grills and headlights, front right fender with wheel housing – as