Manufactured by the Autocar truck company of Ardmore, Pennsylvania, this truck was found in a junk yard in Montgomery County, PA and restored in the early 1960s by the present owner’s family–the black and white photo included in the slideshow above is of the owner as a young boy when it was found. This first restoration included a replica antique bus body; they used the truck extensively until it was badly burned. Further research uncovered that it was originally used as a delivery truck by a family-owned produce company in Pottstown, PA, and the owner decided to fully restore it to its original delivery body configuration.
We conducted full frame-up restoration, including a complete restoration of the truck’s original four-cylinder Autocar engine. Originally it was not equipped with an electric starter, hand crank only. We fabricated new hood panels, seat riser panels, fenders, and a new seat frame due to extensive fire damage of the original pieces. We made a new, correct radiator as well as a new cast iron exhaust manifold. The original gas tank was saved and restored. The replacement bus body was replaced by a custom-made period delivery body with a one-piece roof covering the body and cab area. It still retains all its original acetylene lighting system with head and tail lights. It made its debut at the 2019 AACA Hershey Fall Meet, receiving a First Junior award.