Retro Texaco GMC Pickup Brings Past Roaring Back

By S.J. Bryan - May 13, 2020

Custom built GMC truck a perfect tribute to the old school service station…with cherry on top.

One of the things we’ve been doing entirely too much of lately is online shopping. Now, for most people this wouldn’t be a big deal. But when your habit is classic cars and pickup trucks, it can be a problem. Trust us, it is a good thing Amazon Prime does not team up with eBay motors. So when we we spotted this cherry red and black 1952 GMC 101 pickup, we couldn’t resist.

The object of our desire is currently on the auction block at Barrett-Jackson. During this strange and scary time, the noted auctioneers have had to adjust. As a result, many cool rides are on the docket for their online auctions.

This custom GMC truck is a perfect classic. Built as a replica of the Texaco trucks of the era, it is a stunner in steel, chrome, and whitewalls. Details were clearly considered in the build. It boldly wears the Texaco star, as well as period-correct Texaco signs.

Of course, when you think Texaco, you’re likely to recall their long-running “Trust your car to the man who wears the star” slogan. It became part of the pop-culture lexicon, and even ended up in a Bruce Springsteen song. This version does a play on it with “Trust the Man with the Star” painted on the side.

Running on an inline-six, it is paired to a 3-speed manual transmission.

The restoration has executed flawlessly, and some of the updates are outstanding. How can you not love that oak bed with chrome bed rail strips?

Inside, the interior matches in red and black upholstery. Clean and cool.

GMC badging really adds to character on the color-keyed running boards.

If you wanted to go without the Texaco theme, the decals are removable. We would advise against it, just our opinion; it makes it truly unique. And feels a bit like a die cast toy come to life.