Most of the vehicles you see in the Ewe hens of the country will consist of regular cars and trucks, but there could be some unexpected surprises in the mix. I’ve documented ice cream trucks, TV stars, art cars, vehicles of military personnel even a tank during my years of explore automotive history at car graveyards. Today Jewel of a car graveyard is an icon of the American crispy snack food industry, found in a cemetery near Monterey, California.
Many automakers have aircraft in their DNA, including SaabSubaru/Nissan (through the Nakajima Aircraft Company) And Mitsubishi. Grumman Olson was born when the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation was commissioned to build Kargo King vans in 1946.
Grumman began building aircraft for the US Navy in 1931and its tens of thousands fighters And flying boats played a major role in defeating the Axis powers during World War II. Northrop Grumman still builds airplanes, and it was Grumman’s aircraft-based expertise with aluminum that made Grumman Olson delivery trucks such a sales success.
The Kargo King truck featured a lightweight aluminum body built by Grumman on a truck chassis built by Chevrolet. That formula continued with the Kurbside delivery truck, which came out in 1948.
Grumman Olson assembly plants sprang up all over the country. This Kurbside was built in Tulare, Californiaapproximately 280 kilometers southeast of the final parking lot.
United Parcel Service was the best-known buyer of Grumman Olson trucks, but most Americans who were active in the 1970s and 1980s still remember the distinctive Frito-Lay Crew Cabs at the Curb with their matching Kubemaster trailersThose trailers would be packed from floor to ceiling with Fried, Lay’s Potato Chips, Grandma’s cookies, Funny, Muncho’s, Doritos, Toasted sandwiches, Rolled golden pretzels, Ruffles, Cheetos, Crunch Taters and all the rest, which they supply to retail stores across the country. Thanks to the cradle of the aviation museum for making this photo available!
Because the chassis is the same as that of Chevrolet Step-Vans And GMC Value Vansthe engine is a good old small-block Chevrolet V8.
The transmission, probably a four-speed manual but possibly a three-speed, is located in the doorway.
The chances of an inattentive Krew Kab driver getting out in traffic and being crushed by a passing car were slim, since the truck’s only door faced the curb.
A small gasoline engine in a large truck and trailer would be extremely thirsty, so this sticker was placed on the dashboard in an attempt to encourage the driver to get an extra tenth of a mile out of every gallon of fuel.
If you are building a vehicle purely for functionality, you can get by with industrial defrost grilles.
The Kubemaster trailer is long gone. Maybe it’s being used for storage somewhere.
There is a lot of valuable aluminum in this body.
I’ve lived in California for most of this truck’s career with Frito-Lay, so chances are I’ve eaten snacks delivered via their Kubemaster. Thanks, R-28!
You can still buy a new van from a Grumman Olson descendant, Morgan Olson.