Born In Compton: Powell Sport Wagon

"DailyTurismo" (thedailyturismo) 03/25/2014 at 11:35 • Filed to: Daily Turismo

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Compton, CA has been a manufacturing center long before !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! said he was going to build an automobile manufacturing company in the east Los Angeles hub city. The Powell brothers started in Compton building motor scooters but from 1954 to 1957 they crafted a vehicle called the Sport Wagon.

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The Powell Sport Wagon used a 1941 Plymouth chassis...no really, each Powell was built on a used 1941 Plymouth chassis that had been reclaimed from a junkyard with a new steel body was plopped atop the used chassis. You won't find many Powells just sitting around on your local craigslist, but when you do come across one they can be fairly affordable for the level or rarity and coolness. Find this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (and potentially a scooter as well) offered for $14,999 via craigslist located in Hoover, AL.

The Powell Sport Wagon is an interesting piece of El Camino history - since is was arguably the first pickup truck on a car chassis. The construction materials used in the Powell are also novel, with a fiberglass nose piece and a varnished oak front bumper. It may look like someone randomly used a 2x4 for a bumper on this car, but that is a factory original piece.

Under the hood is the original 1941 Plymouth inline-6 mated to a 3-speed manual transmission. The 3.3 liter flathead six is good for 81 horsepower and 161 ft-lbs of torque. It is a basic engine but at over 70 years old it will require specialist help when it comes time to rebuild, but with some knowledge and a small machine shop you should be able to fix anything that breaks.

This Powell is offered with a P-81 scooter, another Powell built classic from the 50s, but it is not clear if that is part of the package or a separate item. The Powell brothers built scooters before branching into the truck market, and this would make a great addition for anyone looking to collect cars/bikes built in Compton.

The interior of this Sport Wagon has been reconditioned (recently?) and items like seat belts are welcome upgrades. However, the strangest thing on the entire vehicle is the extendable storage box located in the passenger side rear fender. You just need to find some giant Pez to build your own life-sized Pez dispenser.

See a stranger or cooler old pickup? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Originally published as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Image credits; craigslist

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > DailyTurismo 03/25/2014 at 11:41

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that is 100% of the coolest/wierdest pickups ive ever seen

and i love it

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > DailyTurismo 03/25/2014 at 11:50

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Very arguable as to whether it was the first truck on a car frame - I'd say probably demonstrably false, but it comes down to whether earlier trucks were on frames technically unmodified or (in some cases) how much they count as a truck.

I believe just for one the Austin A40 truck was on an identical frame to the A40 Countryman and A40 Devon - and that's just limiting myself to modern era stuff. I believe the frames under early Dodge and Chevy trucks were essentially the same as cars for light capacity, International sold a passenger car version of its D-series light delivery, and Studebaker offered a business coupe with a pickup insert, just to name a few.

OldMarriedDull > DailyTurismo 03/25/2014 at 14:41

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I knew Chrysler ripped off the Ram Box from someone.

Jonee > DailyTurismo 03/27/2014 at 23:38

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There's been a project Powell on Craigslist for a while. If I was really ambitious and had lots of room, I'd bring it home. Such a cool oddity.

http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/4337492518…