Description

1939 Dodge TC (1/2 Ton) Truck – In 1939 Dodge presented a completely new designed line of pickups and trucks. Formally the T series for 1939, V series for 1940, and the W series from 1941 through 1947, the trucks became mostly known as the Dodge Job-Rated trucks. With streamlined, Art Deco styled front sheetmetal, and introducing the concept of “Job-Rated” truck configurations, Dodge tried to offer customers the truck that fit the job they were buying it for. As a result, the 1939 to 1947 Dodge pickup / truck range was offered in a bewilderingly large number of available variants and model codes. The Dodge trucks enjoyed some popularity before the war, and the last of them built in 1942, before Dodge turned to mostly military production, had progressed to the W-series model name. When they resumed sales post-war, they continued as the 1946 Dodge W-series. Historic author on Dodge trucks, Don Bunn, noted that the 1939 to 1947 Job-Rated trucks represent a very significant segment in Dodge history. They were the first to be mass-produced in the new, huge (Mound Road) Warren truck plant. The Job-Rated trucks also formed the basis for Dodge’s first light-duty military four-wheel drives, the 1940 half-ton Dodge VC series, which in turn further developed into the world’s first factory 4WD commercial pickups: the Dodge Power Wagon. And lastly, Dodge was the first of the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers to offer a diesel powered truck — all the more exceptional, given that Chrysler engineered and built their heavy-duty diesel engines all in-house. Today, this series is the most popular pickups with Dodge truck collectors.

We located this rare ’39 Dodge TC locally and immediately fell in love with the looks. Although it is an older restoration, the paint and saddle interior still present nicely. Out of caution, we weren’t sure if driving it from our warehouse to our regular photo spot (40 mile round trip) was a good idea. But the weather was just right last weekend and we took a gamble. Will definitely say that the first adjective that came to mind was, “impressive”! After remembering the need to double clutch the 3-speed on these older trucks, it was really fun to drive and the original flat 8 motor delivered more power than expected. The old Dodge made the trip with ease and as you can see, the photos came out great. While this truck would be great for weekend shows, there is still some TLC needed to make her a show vehicle. Items we might recommend for improvement would be replacing the wooden bed floor, fixing small leaks, upgrading the wiring (still on 6V system), and having a PDR guy remove a few dings. What you can’t see in photos is there is under-seat storage in the interior and the exhaust is brand new. For a unique truck that you can show locally or enter in pre-war shows/tours, you can’t beat this Dodge TC for only $26,900!!