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1937 Ford Suburban


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Ford actually pioneered the idea of a panel delivery-to-steel station wagon in 1933-34, when they took on an order for a couple of hundred such versions of their 1/2 ton Panel Delivery truck from the US Forest Service. Apparently Old Henry didn't see a potential market for an all-steel station wagon, so they were apparently never cataloged as a regular production Ford vehicle though.

Proctor-Keefe did the conversions for Ford--and what did they name them? "Ranger"! In the Crestline book "Ford Trucks from 1905, there are a couple of pictures of one.

Art

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  • 6 months later...

Nice build!

Now this surprised me. I guess I don't know everything about cars. :)

This is from my Crestline Ford truck book. I'll bet there's a good story about the names.

suburban_zps54fc42c0.jpg

This version of the Ford Panel Delivery did have a name! Those were called "Ranger", starting with the very first ones built in 1933-34 for the US Forest Service. Those Ford Rangers also give a lie to GM's claim of having built the first all steel station wagons, as those 1930's Ford Rangers had all steel bodies, with no structural wood in them. only the thin wooden bows to support the PVC impregnated cloth roof insert, which was also the case with Chevrolet's Panel Deliveries and their first Suburbans.

Unlike Chevrolet however, Ford did not completely build Rangers on their assembly lines. Rather, Ford farmed out the installation of side windows seats and interior appointments to the Detroit conversion company, Proctor-Keefe, who was better known for commercial vehicle bodies and fire equipment cabs.

Art

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Very cool. I've always been a big fan of Chevy's Suburban Carryalls, and have seen many photos of the Ford Rangers. I never understood why Ford let Chevrolet dominate this market with their factory direct built Suburbans. Especially by the early 70's.

This is one of the few times I have to disagree with Art by the way. Chevrolet still can hold the claim of being the first with a factory built steel wagon. Ford and others were all converted by other companies. Until International's Travelall and Dodge's Town Wagon in the 50's. Which reminds me another blogger here brought up International using the Carryall name? I maybe wrong, but this I don't remember? But, both the "Suburban" and "Carryall" names were used regularly on many early car and truck wagons. These were more generic terms, than specific names. For many years, right up through the late 70's Plymouth used the name Suburban on many of their station wagons. It's not until the last 15 or 20 years that Chevrolet has registered the name as theirs.

Scott

Edited by unclescott58
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Chevy can claim they built the first all-steel passenger car wagon. These Fords were still trucks.

Chevrolet's Suburban has always been based on Chevy's truck chassis. The first all steel bodied passenger car station wagon was offered by Crosley in 1947. Beating the '49 Plymouth Suburban all steel wagon to market. There is some debate about the '46 Willys Jeep steel wagon being first steel passenger car wagon. Willys did register them as passenger cars. But, most people look at them as being trucks, like Chevrolet's Suburban.

In passenger cars, Ford's first all steel wagon was brought out in 1952. Though the wood on '49 through '51 were decorative rather than structural. Chevrolet's first steel passenger car wagon came late in the '49 model run. The '53 Buick Estate Wagons were the last wagons where real wood was used as part of the structure of the car.

Scott

Edited by unclescott58
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