There has always been competition and imitation in the automotive world.
The 60s had a small market Big Three battle with vans that were actually pickup trucks.
The Chevy Corvair van/truck competed against the Dodge A-100 van/truck and the Ford Econoline van/truck.
And no, we didn’t forget the Volkswagen van/ truck, but today we want to talk about Wayne Tutty’s 1965 Ford Econoline pickup truck.
The first thing that you notice when Wayne pulls into a show and shine is his convoy of one in the Econoline pickup department. You just do not see many examples of these rare workhorses around on the streets. The survivors are usually tricked out with a lot more horsepower than the original ticker under the hood, and are a great distance away from their humble stock origins.
Light years away in some cases.
That is what makes Wayne’s stock 6-cylinder three- on- the- tree original even more unusual. Wayne is a quiet guy, but he will find himself in front of a lot of questions when he rolls into a show with this baby. It happens every time, because a 1965 Ford Econoline is just that rare in today’s world. An entire generation and their kids were born after Wayne’s ride first hit the streets.
So the “what is that?” questions fly in a hurry from the younger generations.
Those of us that are old enough to remember the flat-nosed van/trucks from the 60s are also happy to see that a guy like Wayne was smart enough to keep an unusual part of Detroit’s past on the road.
We liked them in their prime for their unusual appearance, and we love them at any car show in the 21st century.
For Wayne, his Econoline truck is a conversation starter, and a quiet guy like Wayne is a gracious host for any and all questions about his unconventional classic.
Jim Sutherland
