1957 Dodge Power Wagon is Still a Thing of Beauty
Dodge trucks can trace their roots back to the original Power Wagon, one of the coolest classic American trucks of all time.
Modern Dodge Ram trucks are known for their power and durability, with the Ram 2500 Power Wagon serving as the toughest of the late model trucks from the automaker once known as the Chrysler Corporation. While these trucks have changed a tremendous amount over the past 60 years, the success of the modern Ram trucks can be traced back to the ¾-ton Dodge WC trucks that were based on the rugged military trucks produced during World War II.
The Military Power Wagon
Starting in the late 1930s, Dodge produced a ½-ton truck for the United States military that would serve a variety of purposes on and around the battlefield. Those trucks were crucial cogs in the war effort, but when WWII came to an end, the company had to figure out what to do with the architecture of their military trucks.
They came up with the Dodge ¾-ton WC Power Wagon, which has effectively just become known as the original Power Wagon. This truck used a long wheelbase version of the military chassis, adding some features to make on-road driving a bit more comfortable, but doing so without diminishing the toughness that made these such great vehicles for the Armed Forces.
Like the military trucks, the civilian-issue Dodge WC Power Wagons of the 40s and 50s derived their power from an inline-six-cylinder engine that measured 230 cubic inches with an output of 111 horsepower and 198 lb-ft of torque (in 1957). That power was sent to all four wheels via 4-speed manual transmission and a unique 2-speed transfer case, but the majority of the other moving parts were borrowed from the military units.
As a result of the military influence, the civilian Dodge WC Power Wagons were incredible tough, very strong and remarkably durable. They proved to be popular with a wide variety of buyers and production of these old school pickups would continue into the 1970s. Other, softer trucks were introduced by Dodge along the way, but the WC Power Wagon remained pretty much the same through the duration of its storied existence.
Sought After Collectables
Although the original Dodge WC Power Wagons were produced for decades, these were trucks built to work and in many cases, they were literally worked to death. As a result, they have become very hard to find in good shape and with so much interest in antique trucks in the modern collector’s market, the value of an original Power Wagon in good shape can equal that of some of the classic muscle cars.
Fortunately, original Dodge Power Wagons are out there and we found one such truck while flipping through the listings on Classic Cars. This particular 1957 WC looks to have been restored at some point in the past, but as you can see in the pictures, the truck is far from perfect. The wood in the bed appears to be in rough shape, the standard door panels have been replaced with what looks to be stainless steel, the front fenders have been bent back into shape a time or two and the tailgate is in need of reshaping or replacing.
However, this is still an original 1957 Power Wagon, inspired by the great Dodge war trucks of the 1940s. so a few rough panels and some odd upgrades won’t have much impact on the collectable nature of this classic pickup.
Join the Dodge Forums now!
