Vintage American Truck Ads, Fuel Curve

Vintage American Truck Ads – Time Capsule

Vintage American Truck Ads are a throwback to yesteryear, a place dear to our hearts and one of the hottest markets in the classic car and hot rodding segment. But back in the 1930s through the 70s, these trucks were the workhorses of their day. Through farming, wartime, and construction we have an old-fashioned love affair with trucks and they served America so well for so long. Many still do.

In this modern day world of advanced advertising, bigger, bolder, in-your-face digital and print ads are woven into every fabric of our lives. Madmen in suits now rule the world and present products to an eager-to-consume public.

Vintage American Truck Ads, Fuel Curve

When we think of vintage trucks and what they look like today, sometimes it’s hard to imagine what they looked like way back when they were brand new sitting on the dealer lot. They once had that new car smell, the paint was shiny and the engines fired up with the first turn of the key. If only the old skeletons of these trucks could talk what would they tell us of their life? Where had they been? What did they see? Why is it just sitting out here rotting in this filed? And more importantly, can it still be saved?

The vintage American truck ads shown here are but a small cross-section of what has been published over time. As time progressed so did the sophistication of the advertising. At first, trucks were presented as little more than farm implements. Next, advertisers started adding in women and leisure activities. And just like that, the role of trucks changed, and so too did the advertisements of the vehicles. Each manufacturer’s ad espoused the virtues of their product over the competition. Be sure to read the copy on some of these. Some are quite entertaining!

Vintage American Truck Ads, Fuel Curve

Vintage American Truck Ads, Fuel Curve

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Without question, Mike is a brilliant photographer who has a keen eye for composition and color. Having nearly two decades of experience in the magazine business, Mike has spent the better part of his adult file photographing cars and the people connected to them. Sealing his fate as a gearhead, Mike's first car was a '73 Camaro. Currently, he is working on bringing a '62 Ford Galaxie and '58 Chevy Apache back to life.