1933 Ford Model BB
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As Rare as a Cord! Only 216 were built. Why So Rare? The rarity is due to the effects of the Great Depression. The US was broke. Grown men were selling apples on the streets to survive. Because of few sales due to the Great Depression which hit hardest in 1932 and 1933, early in the 33 Henry Ford, shut down the line ending production of these trucks. When times got better, Henry restarted the line toward the end of 1934. Only 216 of the 1933 1 1/2 ton short flatbed trucks were built. These trucks were known as watermelon trucks because they drove in muddy fields well. The BB trucks had a longer wheelbase, a reinforced frame, heavy duty transmission and axles, and bigger wheels. Wire wheels were standard on the light duty cars, the heavier got steel wheels (some of them dual on the rear axle). BB designated four as well as eight-cylinder trucks. The V-8 was strictly an option, even for heavy trucks; the bulk of these vehicles came with four-cylinder engines. During the Depression, these were also used as ambulances, hearses, and fire trucks for budget-minded communities...