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Unusual, Industry-Specific Vehicle Design from the 1950s: The DeKalb Lumberjack

By Rain Noe - April 13, 2020

in Cars

A couple of years ago, we spotted this 1940s sketch of an unusual vehicle done for Preston Tucker. The Tucker Corporation famously went belly-up and this vehicle was never produced.

However! Take a look at this:

Image source: Homemadetools

That's not a one-off. That's a 1956 Lumberjack, manufactured by a company called DeKalb, which originally started out as a wagon manufacturer. DeKalb made truck bodies that could be bolted on to the truck chassis produced by major automakers like Ford, GMC, Chevrolet and Dodge.

Image source: Homemadetools

Note how tall the door is! It looks like you can just walk into the cab.

In this photo, you can see there's both upper and lower loading levels:

Image source: Homemadetools

The two levels were designed to hold differing materials. I found a clipping from a 1955 issue of a DeKalb, Illinois newspaper explaining the thinking behind the truck's design:

With four-wheel-drive and off-road tires, this thing would be the ultimate farm truck. All of that loading space freed up by omitting the passenger seat. I covet it.

Alas, I haven't spotted any of these at Bringatrailer.com.

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Joseph Fay

4 years ago

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60 Dekalb Model REA

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Joseph Fay

4 years ago

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Dekalb's were build like tanks! I own a Dekalb Model REA parcel van. Fun vehicle that attracts alot of attention. I can only imagine the attention a Lumber Jack would generate

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Donald Jones

4 years ago

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Only one person in the vehicle. Is it any wonder, that Lumberjacks died out.

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Michael DiTullo

4 years ago

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these are so cool!

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