1949 GMC 350 COE Keeps the Rat Rod Dream Alive
While custom automotive trends tend to come and go, this wicked 1949 GMC 350 COE proves that rat rods are seemingly here to stay.
If there’s one constant in the automotive world, it’s that trends, well, they tend to come and go. Over the past few decades, we’ve seen this in action via trends ranging from mini trucks to street-pounding pickups to pro streeters and pretty much anything else enthusiasts have conjured up. But while some automotive trends tend to fall out of favor and never return – in certain cases, that can be a good thing – rat rods seem to have a lot of staying power. It’s an interesting phenomenon given how niche that treatment is, but this 1949 GMC 350 COE makes a solid case for why folks still gravitate toward this style.
This 1949 GMC 350 COE was present at the all-truck, SUV, and van SoCal extravaganza known as the Grand National Truck Show, which just celebrated its second year of existence – and yet, drew hundreds of amazing rides representing pretty much every style that exists. However, this particular vintage cab-over caught our eye for some very obvious reasons. Aside from being massive, this GMC COE is also incredibly cool, and simply oozes rat rod style and attitude everywhere you look.
On the outside, that’s clearly evident by its supremely smaller stance, which has its big fenders sitting perilously close to the ground and hunkered over a set of modern wheels and tires. The well-worn orange paint is accented by a white grille and roof, as well as “U-Haul Speed Shop” letting on the doors, and various other accents. There are plenty of old school hot rod touches here as well, including a visor, a spotlight, and headlight covers, which help give it a more timeless, vintage vibe.
Out back, one will find even more interesting details – including a pair of spare tires mounted in the bed’s cage, along with a beer keg that has a tap handle smack in the middle – for those impromptu times when you just need a cold one on the go, we suppose. The interior is equally ratty and spartan, though chock full of nifty details such as a shifter made from chain link and a piston, coupled with some humorous stickers and even a fan, because there’s probably no A/C here.
Regardless, we simply love the attitude and character of this 1949 GMC 350 COE, which helps it stand out from a massive pack of more pristine rides – including the World’s Most Beautiful Truck competitors, which were parked not too terribly far away. If nothing else, this pairing helps convey just how diverse the world of custom trucks can be – and that’s one of the many reasons why we love it so much.
Photos: Derin Richardson
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