Vehicle Description
This 1959 Dodge D100 Sweptside Pickup is a nicely restored, rare
example of a luxury pickup from the late 1950s. In the mid 50s,
trucks were always used for "work" and cars were used for personal
transportation. Trucks at the time were spartan in terms of
features, style, and creature comforts since they were just for
"getting the job done." So the idea of a "luxury" truck was a
completely novel idea at the time. However, Chevrolet recognized
that there was the potential for a niche market of folks that used
their trucks for work and daily personal transportation.
Accordingly, the GM marque began sprucing up their truck line with
more of the comforts that customers were used to on their cars and,
in 1955, they also released their Cameo which featured superb
styling and more comfortable cabs. Ford was not long behind when
two years later, when they debuted their '57 Ranchero in December
1956. The inspiration for Ford's Ranchero was, as the story goes,
that an Australian farmer's wife had asked the local Ford plant to
build "a vehicle to go to church in on a Sunday, and which can
carry our pigs to market on Mondays?" However, Chrysler, the
remaining Big Three American automaker, lacked its own answer to
Chevrolet's Cameo and found itself behind Ford's Ranchero as well;
that is, until May 1957 when Chrysler debuted its own luxury pickup
with the mid-year introduction of the Dodge D100 Sweptside Pickup.
Chrysler's engineers took the rear quarters and bumper from its
2-door station wagon and mounted it to its 1/2 ton long-box pickup
chassis, creating a truly gorgeous truck complete with that classic
Virgil Exner "Forward Look" style. In fact, the Sweptside pickups
were partially hand-built by Dodge's "Special Equipment Group" The
1959 Sweptside models were slightly refreshed from the previous
year with new grille treatment and were adorned with additional
chrome trim above what was on the standard D100 1/2 ton trucks. The
1959 dashes were also updated in 1959, with the instrument cluster
sitting entirely in front of the driver and the glovebox was
shifted towards the passenger side of the dash. From 1957-1959,
Sweptside production was quite limited. It is believed that around
2,500 Sweptside trucks were produced during that span, with the
majority of them believed to have been built in the 1957 and 1958
model years; therefore, this 1959 D100 Sweptside a particularly
rare piece of automotive history. Under the hood on this Sweptside
Pickup is a 318 Cubic Inch V8 engine paired with a single 2 barrel
carburetor that pushed out 205 horsepower in its day. The 318 V8 is
mated to a 3 speed manual transmission that is shifted using a
column-mounted "3 on the tree" shifter and a hydraulic clutch.
Being that the Sweptside sat atop of the Dodge 1/2 Ton Truck
hierarchy, they (like this one) came with many options as standard
equipment such as chrome front and rear bumpers, chrome wheel
covers, chrome bumper guards, and wraparound rear windows. This
Dodge Sweptside rides on a set of wide whitewall bias-ply tires
which give this pickup truck a truly classic look. The steel box,
which is tucked behind the unique Sweptside rear fenders, along
with the steel rear tailgate and painted wood bed are in wonderful
shape as well. The exterior of this 1959 Dodge Pickup has been
refinished in a beautiful two-tone paint scheme consisting of Vista
Green and Sand Dune White, completing the exterior look of the
truck. The interior on this special D100 is fantastic! The bench
seat has been refinished in Black and Grey Vinyl and is in
wonderful condition. The painted dash, door panels, carpeting and
headliner show well too and have a nice stock appearance. The
instrument cluster is equipped with a 100 MPH speedometer,
temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, amp gauge, and fuel gauge.
An AM/FM push button radio is mounted neatly in the middle of the
dash as well, between the instrument cluster and glove box. Whether
you're adding to your existing Mopar collection or you're buying
your first classic pickup truck, this 1959 Dodge D100 Sweptside
Pickup would make an excellent choice. Give us a call today!
*318 Cu. In. V8
*Single 2 Barrel Carburetor
*3 Speed Manual Transmission
*Hydraulic Clutch
*205 Horsepower
*Southern History
*Vista Green/Sand Dune White Exterior
*Grey/Black Vinyl Bench Seat
*Wide Whitewalls w/ Full Wheelcovers
*AM/FM Radio
*Stock Instrumentation
*Odometer Reads: 10,000 Miles
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For more information and a current list of vehicles, call
763-428-7337.
