Vintage Car Carriers: 1949 DeArco – Another Shop-Built Tall-Boy Freak BY PAUL NIEDERMEYER – POSTED ON JUNE 4, 2020 Until the late ’50s or so, Illinois had the most extreme length restriction on trucks, 35′ feet total, as a consequence of a very strong railroad lobby. I’ve shown you a couple of other home-built custom car carriers creatively designed to haul five cars within that limit. Here’s one more, the 1949 DeArco, built by Arco Auto Carriers in Chicago. Seeing this monster next to one of their conventional trucks really puts it in perspective. Here’s the patent drawings for it. The patent wasn’t issued until 1956, by which time it was irrelevant. But it shows how it was essential to get one of the cars all the way to the front in order to make it work. What’s curious are the very large front wheels and the small rear wheels, suggesting it was FWD. But as the lower drawing shows, it had RWD, but presumably to small wheels to facilitate loading. The truck was based on a Ford F8, including its 145 hp flathead V8, a five speed transmission and two speed rear axle. It’s essentially the same approach used in the CCI “Skyscraper” carrier, except that it had two cars in the truck and three in the trailer. The third approach was the most ambitious one, the FWD La Crosse Carrier. It didn’t need to be tall because the lack of a rear driving axle allowed more room in the back for one of the cars to sit low. This was the result. Not exactly pretty. To the best of my knowledge, only one was built, as a proof of concept. That’s the gas tank up there, right behind the cab; no need for a fuel pump. Because drivers complained about the terrible visibility, especially down low in front of the truck, the cab was cut up, widened, and a second set of lower windshields installed. The grille was donated by a Nash. Windows were also added to the bottom of the cab doors. Must have been fun to get in and out of. Vintage Car Carriers: 1949 DeArco – Another Shop-Built Tall-Boy Freak | Curbside Classic
The Harrahs truck caught my eye! Bill Harrah owned the largest auto collection in the world and there was an in house chrome shop and he employed some of the best body and paint men in the country. All of trucks looked extra nice!
I’m not sure if aim more impressed with the load the truck is able to carry, or the driver skill to handle it.
MY WIFE'S STEP BROTHER WAS A BODY MAN FOR BILL HARRAH FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS. The body shop floor had expensive tile, and all pictures. calendars, had to be framed. real classy. SAID HE WAS NICEST GUY IN THE WORLD, AND TRUE CAR GUY. Jim helped build the Wagoneer, the huntin' rig, a widen Jeep, lengthwise, so a MASERATI RUNNING GEAR would fit. ( I think it was Maserati., maybe Ferrari ?)
Ferrari…Bill owned a Ferrari dealership as well. He had the crew build 2 “Jerraris. One is on display at what is left of the Harrah collection in Reno. Grew up in Reno and never heard a bad word about Bill Harrah…. Can’t say the same for the other casino owners .
The history of this truck as I know it. I have hunting property in WV. I watch Auctionzip for my zip in WV when ever I go up. The week end I was going up there was an auction a few miles away. I collect Savage rifles. There was a little 22 I'd like to have. So I look at the rest of the stuff being sold and there were a lot of old vehicles, some restored, some rotted way. There was a listing for a Four Wheel Drive Dump truck, no title, didn't say what make it was. Picture in the add was taken over top of other trucks, so you really couldn't see it. Couple days before the sale my buddy had to bail out on me. I wasn't going to drive 120 miles in my 10 MPG Dodge for a $100 22 rifle, so I didn't go. A few weeks later I drove by the sale house and the Yellow FWD had been pulled out in the front yard. I went up again and the truck was sitting in my neighbors field. When scrap spiked up he started going to auctions and bidding $20 on vehicles that did draw a bid. Then auctioneers got to know him, and it they didn't get a bid they just yelled, Sold to Shorty for 20 bucks. With a chance to climb over it, I couldn't find the make, just the FWD emblems. Got home and did a search and it turned out that the "Four Wheel Drive Auto Co" was the oldest continuously made vehicle in the US. Commonly know as the "FWD" It wound up in the ownership of Seagrave and now belongs to an investment firm, I think ELD. It's in Wiki for a quick history. Shorty took the doors off because they were rotted about 2 inches along the bottom. But they still have them. Shorty passed from a heart attack a few years ago. His sister and BIL inherited it. I told the MD DMV that the truck had been on my farm since my parents bought it in the 70's, didn't mention the farm was in WV. The clerk told me that MD had an "Abandoned Vehicle" title that was pretty easy to get. I'd love to have this truck, but in my heart of heart's, I know I'd never get around to it..
We have a local Ice Cream shop called Jimmy Cone and every other Saturday they have a car show. I happened to be in the shopping center and saw this one. I was moving, he was moving and I had to get my cell out of my pocket. When's the last time you saw a truck with 12 red and white caskets on the back?
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