This 1940 Plymouth pickup is nothing if not simple. No modern truck boasts simplicity; even a fender bender can cost over $1000 after replacing our all-important parking sensors and other high-tech doo-dads… trucking necessities from marketing one-upmanship. How many 2024 pickups will be running in 84 years? Meanwhile this 84 year-old just needs carburetor and brake repairs to get back to work, according to the listing here on eBay. The Davis, South Dakota classic has sat only three years, and the 1941 Plymouth PT-105 has five bidders spurring its market value above $2500 without triggering the seller’s Reserve as we go to press. According to Allpar, Plymouth located the spare tire beneath the bed by default instead of this truck’s optional side-mounted location (partially recessed into the right rear fender).
The “3-Man Cab” offers plenty of metal and glass to stop your unbelted body from flying around in an accident, boosting resale value for your estate. Joking aside, the art-deco dash treatment and instruments (see below) add some class to a utilitarian environment. Check out other nifty features and details of these trucks in the original brochures at AutoPaper.
Something’s odd with the apparently duct-tape secured lower fender sections, but you have to love the “Plymouth” script on the tailgate and the overload-friendly outward tapered bed sides. Want a multi-function tailgate? This one contains cargo within the bed when upright and accommodates longer loads or several derrières when lowered.
Plymouth’s inline six-cylinder makes a capable torquey hauler, spinning a three-speed manual gearbox. My family owned a 1940 Plymouth sedan when I first learned to drive, also with the three-speed. It accelerated well and ran fine at highway speeds, readily climbing nearly any hill in top gear. I think my lawn tractor has a bigger carburetor!
Art-Deco lettering recalls Hoover Dam and other grand achievements of the early 20th century. This Plymouth looks as rugged and unstoppable as America after the depression. Weighing at least a ton less than a modern Dodge Ram, this PT-105 could tow or haul everything most families will ever need, and you’ll never be sidelined by a $500 fuel pump controller module. In my area, many people keep an old auction truck around just for taking trash to the dump or the occasional trip to the lumber yard. There may be no financial upside to restoring this Plymouth, but let’s hope someone makes it roadworthy in any way that puts a smile on their face. Would you consider this PT-105 for occasional household trucking?
..multi function tailgate..that’s good stuff, Todd. Find some original headlights and get this beauty running! Throw a hay bale in the back tho to smooth out the ride, maybe. Also curious about the duct tape on the fenders🤔
And while there to buy this buy the sellers ‘67 R/T too for a ride that moves faster down the road-both are good projects IMO.
‘39 and ‘40 were my favorite years for Dodge/Plymouth/Fargo trucks. The one distinguishing feature is the headlight placement. I’ll never understand why Chrysler chose to perch the headlight buckets way out on top of the fenders, starting in 1941. They looked so good in next to the grill while out on the fenders, they stuck out like frog’s eyes.
My uncle sold Plymouth/Chrysler cars and Dodge trucks from ‘39 till ‘59. Interesting that he sold a lot of product throughout the region but had problems selling to his relatives. Grandpa always drove Ford cars and trucks until ‘47 when Uncle Woody got him into a new Chrysler Windsor club coupe, and a new Dodge 1-ton pickup for the ranch. Dad bought a Plymouth club coupe in ‘48 and a short box Dodge pickup in ‘51. He stuck with mostly Chrysler products for cars but the trucks were mostly International and GM with a couple of Fords and a Dodge thrown in for the rest of his life.
I do have to say that out west, all the manufacturers were well represented. Add to that, being a border brat, I saw a mixture of American/Canadian variants as well.
For this truck, it might be best to park it at my place. I’ll see if I can find a set of lights. Of course I would entertain a full driver quality restoration…
A shame new trucks can’t be this simple and useful.
Big fat tires n a viper mtr
Only bid to $4500, no sale.