The name of the Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company is shortened to “Divco.” This little delivery truck looks like something out of a cartoon. It has a short nose and mostly stayed the same from the 1930s to the 1980s. The auction ends on Sunday, June 18, only three days away. The highest bid for this 1955 model, restored by an Arizona brand expert, is $12,000. Before Amazon, FedEx, and UPS trucks were common on residential streets, the most common vehicles to see were milk and other essential delivery trucks that followed a regular route. A delivery van from the 1950s, like this 1955 Divco, has a lot of charm, but it’s unlikely that anyone will look back on FedEx vehicles from today with fondness in the future. Bring a Trailer; another Hearst Autos newspaper is starting an auction for this fixed model, just like Car and Driver. It looks like a Corvette or a T-Bird, but it moves better. The Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company started strangely. In 1907, the founder of the Detroit Electric Vehicle Company, George Bacon, was its leading engineer. This company was one of the first to make EVs. In order to better manage colder weather and longer voyages, Bacon had the brilliant idea of creating a gasoline-powered Detroit Electric. The people in charge at Detroit Electric didn’t think the concept of a combustion engine would work, so George left the company in the 1920s to start Divco. Divco had hard times during the Great Depression, but by 1937, the company made the delivery trucks that would become so common. Fleets of these happy-looking little trucks came from a vast new plant in Detroit. They were ready to be painted with the brightly colored brand names of nearby dairies, bakeries, laundromats, and almost any other business that makes multiple deliveries. This picture shows a Model 11 from 1955 with a wheelbase of 100.8 inches. It has a 2.7-liter engine makes 49 horsepower and turns slowly at 2640 rpm. It’s funny that the speed goes up to 120 miles per hour. Keep having nightmares about drinking milk during the Indianapolis 500, Mr. Milkman. A three-speed column shifter and a seat that appears to have been designed by Dr. Seuss are among the simple interior design features. This truck, which has recently been restored and is ready to go, is the ideal example of a moving billboard for an independent coffee roastery or something similar. Alternatively, please bring it to your local food truck event and serve organic ice cream on the side. It is such a cute little thing that you may want to start a side business to justify buying it. This Divco is going to a lucky businessperson with no backups. The sale will end on June 18.
