Vehicle Description
Still covered in dust, this exceptionally rare 1929 Ford AA
Hydraulic Dump truck is believed to be the only one known since an
in cab hydraulic dump was not available until 1930. This museum
quality and extremely rare 1929 Ford Model AA Dump Truck has indeed
seen the inside of museums where it has lived for decades. This
fine example and well preserved collectible will likely not be
available to purchase again. Hand picked by gambling tycoon, Bill
Harrah in 1958, it was brought into and restored by his legendary
staff of THE National Auto Museum in Reno Nevada previously known
as Harrah's Museum collection, and the truck was held there for
decades and then a private museums and collections thereafter, thus
it's being available here briefly is indeed unusual and will no
doubt disappear again, becoming unobtainable. Upon purchasing it, I
drove it 40 miles the day it went to the Kansas Auto Museum where I
was happy to see people enjoy it with one caveat, don't wash the
dust off of it as that is the way it was found in the estate of a
Texas collection. This truck is equipped with a hydraulic dump,
wood and stake bed "grain bed" similar to the bid in the "The
Walton's" TV show of the 70's & 80's. However, especially
noteworthy is the long running boards of a dump truck which was not
seen since prior dump truck where operated with a hand cranked
wheel behind the passenger area and thus requiring no running board
there. Seeing a long running board on dump truck was very confusing
for the time and thus demonstrating the driver could operate the
hydraulic dump mechanism from inside the cab. This turned multiple
man jobs (one drove and the other cranked the bed) into a one man
job, revolutionizing productivity and dump truck's as they are
known today. You will note the rare "B" on the rear knuckle,
denoting the earmarks of the highly sought after factory 4 speed
transmission which is also a rarity from the factory but often seen
crudely converted to use the truck on the road and the field. This
AA battery starts (and also hand cranks if you would like) with
ease, runs, drives in all 4 gears plus reverse and brakes
remarkably well. Galion and Wood Mfg. Co. built all of the dump
bodies offered by Ford on their heavy-duty AA and BB chassis during
the 1930s. Galion (now Galion Godwin Truck Body Co.) is the oldest
known truck body manufacturer still in operation today. Thus, why
this is so rare and why it may well be the first Ford hydraulic
dump truck ever made being a prototype in 1929, as the hydraulic
dump was unavailable until the 1930 Ford model year. Dust remains
on the truck in its present heated, cooled and humidity controlled
location and as shown to preserve the nostalgia of when it was
recently discovered. Authenticity is well demonstrated with amazing
period paint and patina and virtually no deterioration. However,
when I learned this was a National Auto Museum vehicle, I contacted
them and enlisted them to research their archives and compile
pictures, ownership history, correspondence with Ford's historical
service and restoration documentation which is in a beautiful
binder that also accompanies this truck. It has been said that this
is one of the most well documented vehicles ever seen. If you are
not amazed at this truck yet, just wrap your brain around the age
of the wood of the truck's grain bed. Henry Ford owned vast forests
in the NW and in 1929, the cutting of the trees were the first time
they were harvested so were 400-500 years old plus since the truck
is nearly a century old it is likely the age of the trees used were
before explorers settled on the continent, certainly older than the
founding of the constitution of the USA itself! Very responsibly
priced at $20,500. For Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPf5YbDJ1Xw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDuOUTBUaBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO6IgOtI180
