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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: George Jones’ Pickups Trucks At Barrett-Jackson
Two beautiful symbols of American country life from the icon of country music will be presented at the Las Vegas auction.
Tastefully restored and updated, George Jones' 1937 GMC pickup is poweered by a modern 350cid Chevy engine and automatic transmission. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
(This article was originally written by Roger Johnson for the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas catalog.)
Pickup trucks have been part of the country music scene since the beginning. Just ask the Godfather of Country Music – George Jones.
The fact is, no vehicles better represent our culture’s innate willingness to get the job done than American-made pickup trucks. Over the years, their popularity has soared way beyond the day-to-day routine of carrying something – or anything – from here to there.
Barrett-Jackson has been in the forefront of the rise of vintage pickups as collector vehicles, offering at every auction some well-restored, custom and sometimes artfully distressed trucks. The Las Vegas auction is no exception, with a number of beauties to choose from, including two from Jones’ own country collection.
It should be no surprise that George Jones knows his way around pickup trucks. So you can imagine how right-on his interpretation of what a cool ride would be. Here are two righteous examples from his innermost circle of transportation:
• Beautifully restored and updated, the 1937 GMC Custom Pickup (Lot #3440) shows us the wonderful influence of aerodynamics as it was applied to pickup-truck designs in the 1930s. Smooth, graceful lines on a work-a-day pickup were literally unheard of only a year or two earlier.
Jones’ 1937 GMC pickup was sweet enough to be massaged, tweaked and bona fide with the help of a 300-horsepower, 350cid small block Chevy V8. This classic powerplant is fed by an Edelbrock single-plane intake manifold and a Holley four-barrel carburetor. Aftermarket tubular headers look fabulous taking out the trash.
Despite the great respect the original Art Deco body shape receives from collectors and enthusiasts in general, engine swaps are never considered a violation of that esteem. That’s especially true down South where that particular black art likely began. After all, who hasn’t heard of Caddy or Chrysler V8s in early Chevys and Fords blasting down country roads when, ah, the moon shines?
A modern and fresh GM automatic transmission gives this truck all the capability required to make the driver feel confident and in charge. The truck sports a teal-green metallic exterior paint job and camel-colored leather interior. An air conditioned cab helps make this truck the perfect place to meditate or contemplate your next great accomplishment as you drive around your spread.
A tilt steering wheel, power steering and cruise control give this particular pickup more character than a novelist could imagine. This machine is expected to hit the auction block at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21.
• An excellent 1954 Chevy 3100 custom five-window pickup (Lot #3441), which will be sold immediately following the 1937 GMC pickup, is Jones’ personal tribute to the value of an original piece of Americana. The ’54 model led the way for GM in light truck design. The very fact that we are still talking about it proves what a spectacular effort was put forth back in 1954.
To keep this beauty alive and forever with us, Jones had it completely restored in 2008. That included a rebuild of its factory inline-six and three-speed column-shift transmission. Jones has tooled around his own acreage many times in this one.
Inside, the ’54 pickup radiates the beauty of its original era with effortless composure. Forget for a moment the real leather seats in this one. The gauges, windshield, steering wheel, dashboard and the wheels suggested back then the infinite possibilities the future was sure to bring.
So this is not just a 58-year-old Chevy pickup for your collection. This machine represents a very specific and powerful moment in time, compliments of the “Einstein” of country music.
The beauty of vehicles restored to original condition is that they keep memories alive for a wider range of generations.
And since this particular truck has so much to share, its value will always remain high. You could call it the “time-value-continuum.” This is a great opportunity to buy an American icon that just happens to be owned by one.
Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction runs from Sept. 20-22, with 20 hours of live TV coverage on SPEED. For more information, see see Barrett-Jackson.com. or call (480) 421-6694.
Pickup trucks have been part of the country music scene since the beginning. Just ask the Godfather of Country Music – George Jones.
The fact is, no vehicles better represent our culture’s innate willingness to get the job done than American-made pickup trucks. Over the years, their popularity has soared way beyond the day-to-day routine of carrying something – or anything – from here to there.
Barrett-Jackson has been in the forefront of the rise of vintage pickups as collector vehicles, offering at every auction some well-restored, custom and sometimes artfully distressed trucks. The Las Vegas auction is no exception, with a number of beauties to choose from, including two from Jones’ own country collection.
It should be no surprise that George Jones knows his way around pickup trucks. So you can imagine how right-on his interpretation of what a cool ride would be. Here are two righteous examples from his innermost circle of transportation:
• Beautifully restored and updated, the 1937 GMC Custom Pickup (Lot #3440) shows us the wonderful influence of aerodynamics as it was applied to pickup-truck designs in the 1930s. Smooth, graceful lines on a work-a-day pickup were literally unheard of only a year or two earlier.
Jones’ 1937 GMC pickup was sweet enough to be massaged, tweaked and bona fide with the help of a 300-horsepower, 350cid small block Chevy V8. This classic powerplant is fed by an Edelbrock single-plane intake manifold and a Holley four-barrel carburetor. Aftermarket tubular headers look fabulous taking out the trash.
Despite the great respect the original Art Deco body shape receives from collectors and enthusiasts in general, engine swaps are never considered a violation of that esteem. That’s especially true down South where that particular black art likely began. After all, who hasn’t heard of Caddy or Chrysler V8s in early Chevys and Fords blasting down country roads when, ah, the moon shines?
A modern and fresh GM automatic transmission gives this truck all the capability required to make the driver feel confident and in charge. The truck sports a teal-green metallic exterior paint job and camel-colored leather interior. An air conditioned cab helps make this truck the perfect place to meditate or contemplate your next great accomplishment as you drive around your spread.
A tilt steering wheel, power steering and cruise control give this particular pickup more character than a novelist could imagine. This machine is expected to hit the auction block at approximately 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 21.
• An excellent 1954 Chevy 3100 custom five-window pickup (Lot #3441), which will be sold immediately following the 1937 GMC pickup, is Jones’ personal tribute to the value of an original piece of Americana. The ’54 model led the way for GM in light truck design. The very fact that we are still talking about it proves what a spectacular effort was put forth back in 1954.
To keep this beauty alive and forever with us, Jones had it completely restored in 2008. That included a rebuild of its factory inline-six and three-speed column-shift transmission. Jones has tooled around his own acreage many times in this one.
Inside, the ’54 pickup radiates the beauty of its original era with effortless composure. Forget for a moment the real leather seats in this one. The gauges, windshield, steering wheel, dashboard and the wheels suggested back then the infinite possibilities the future was sure to bring.
So this is not just a 58-year-old Chevy pickup for your collection. This machine represents a very specific and powerful moment in time, compliments of the “Einstein” of country music.
The beauty of vehicles restored to original condition is that they keep memories alive for a wider range of generations.
And since this particular truck has so much to share, its value will always remain high. You could call it the “time-value-continuum.” This is a great opportunity to buy an American icon that just happens to be owned by one.
Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction runs from Sept. 20-22, with 20 hours of live TV coverage on SPEED. For more information, see see Barrett-Jackson.com. or call (480) 421-6694.
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