The Big Three always had a tendency to hold onto truck designs for long periods; planned obsolescence was a concept that only the passenger car side of the business could apparently afford. Therefore, during the Dodge “Sweptline” period of 1961 to 1971, styling trends had changed dramatically, and by the 1971 model year, Dodge trucks looked a little old hat. These days, however, they look great and you won’t see them all over the place as you might with their Ford and Chevy competition. This one is among the Barn Findiest of Barn Finds, and the seller points out that the “topper is included,” although I’m not sure that’s going to sway too many buyers. Offered on eBay in Haslett, Michigan, it has an opening bid of $1,000. And you could be the first bid.

Back in the ’60s and ’70s, expectations for trucks were somewhat different than they are today. Nobody was looking to go from zero to sixty in five seconds with the air conditioning blasting; still, some might find it odd that the standard engine in the ’71 D100 was a 198-cubic-inch Slant Six with 120 horsepower. The original owner of this truck bypassed both it and the 225-inch Slant Six and ordered the 210-horsepower 318 and a 727 Torqueflite automatic. Nothing about the truck’s mechanical condition is mentioned in the eBay ad aside from that it’s a non-runner, although the newish-looking clear plastic filter up by the carburetor gives one hope that the small-block could be made into a runner without too much effort.

One could order several trim levels on their Sweptline, all the way up to a fancy “Adventurer SE” with optional bucket seats. This one, however, appears to be a basic “Custom.” The new owner will obviously have some cleaning to do (I can smell the mice from here).

The seller mentions that the truck was originally purchased in California and came to Michigan in the 1980s, where it was used for about a decade.

Although “the body and frame…appear to be in good solid condition,” Michigan’s salt (or maybe just a long period of dormancy) has had its way with the Dodge in a few places.

Still, it might be worth a look if you’re in the area. It’s being sold “for the family of a deceased owner,” and the eBay poster will be on site so that interested buyers can inspect the truck on Saturday, November 15th. That’s not a lot of notice, but considering that nobody has yet bid, you might be able to get a decent deal on a truck that might just need a cleaning and a little TLC (and tires, and brakes, and fuel system repairs).