In 1918, Chevrolet began manufacturing its first line of trucks. Its trucking business proved successful, with more than 8,000 trucks on the road by the end of 1919 and its 500,000th truck coming off the line a mere ten years later. By then, six-cylinder engines had been adopted, and were soon accompanied by such amenities as hydraulic shocks, electric fuel gauges, outside mirrors and vacuum wipers. In 1930, Chevrolet acquired one of the world's largest truck body manufacturers and soon offered a full line of light-duty trucks. In 1941, Chevrolet presented its Model AK 1/2 Ton Pickup, featuring a new front end with a double-grille; the upper grille had horizontal bars and the bottom grille had vertical bars that ran across the front. Indeed, it is the unique look of the double-grille, the fender-mounted headlights and the swept-back parking lights that has made the Model AK such a favourite among collectors. And it was the truck's durability, its reliable six-cylinder 216.5-cubic-inch engine and sturdy 115-inch wheelbase that kept the Model AK around long enough for those same collectors to find this classic pickup truck. The classic, hard-working Chevrolet Model AK1/2 Ton Pickup is now a magnificent die-cast model, precision engineered in 1:43 scale. Meticulously crafted with great attention to authentic detail, it is produced by - and available only from - Matchbox Collectibles.

(1998)

Scale: 1:43