This 800-page paperback reference book covers pickups (both truck and car based), vans and sport utility vehicles. Like most Standard catalogs, the format is unpretentious — non-glossy paper, small black-and-white photos, and a sea of text in small type. There isn’t a center insert of color photos, as with some other Standard catalogs.
Completeness and accuracy of the information are uneven, particularly regarding production numbers. However, this genre of Standard Catalog offers an unusual amount of commentary about the competitiveness of a product (e.g., see quote below about the 1960 Studebaker). In general, this is a useful resource for types of vehicles that don’t have as readily available information sources as passenger cars.
Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks, 1896-1986
- John Gunnell, 1993; Second Ed.
- Second Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI
“Throughout the catalog, refinements have been made to the organization and content of the book. The charts were cleaned up and retabulated. Many listings are much more complete. There are fewer cross-references and more direct presentations of data. Large sections on non-mainstream marques have been replaced with an added emphasis on more collected models.” (p. 3)
(1960 Studebaker) “Production delays and steel strikes held up the introduction of the 5E Champ until the spring of 1960. A short model year kept 5E production from showing any significant increases. No matter what Studebaker did, they had no luck increasing truck sales. The Champ cab turned out to be poorly designed in regard to rust prevention.” (p. 646)
(1972 Dodge) “HISTORICAL: Introduced: August, 1971. Calendar year sales: 260,002. Calendar year production: 325,726 (U.S. only). Model year production: 296,397. Innovations: Curved side windows. Recessed gauges. Independent front suspension. Electronic ignition system. Dodge spent a record $50 million to completely re-engineer and restyle its line of light-duty trucks for 1972. Bolstered by a strong general economy, the U.S. truck industry produced a record 2,475,000 trucks and buses. Dodge production and sales also established new records, as the company’s market share shot up to 13.2 percent (from less than 10 percent in 1971).” (p. 219)
Be the first to comment