1948 Ford Vendetta Custom Pick Up for Sale at Russo and Steele's Scottsdale Auction

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Serious car collectors have already booked the third week of January 2012 in their calendar because there will be an award-winning 1948 Ford Vendetta custom pick up and more in Scottsdale auction.

The 3rd week of January is the Scottsdale Car Week in Scottsdale, Arizona, and one of the events they’re looking forward to is the January 18-22 auction being held by Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auctions. More than 700 sports cars, muscle cars, hot rods and customs have already been consigned, and there are several choice items among them.

One of the choicest, and certainly unique, is a 1948 Ford "Vendetta" custom pick up (consignment #1035). Taking almost 9,000 hours to build, and parts from 13 different vehicles and a boat, this custom truck won several awards last year, including the Sam Barris Memorial Award, the Dick Bertolucci Automotive Excellence Award, Outstanding Elegance Award at the GoodGuys West Coast National, and Truck of the Year Finalist (Early) at the NSRA Golden State Nationals.

It has a ’37 LaSalle front end that’s been chopped, channeled and sectioned, with a second set of LaSalle front fenders pie-sectioned to do duty as rear fenders. It also has louver panels from a ’36 Packard, handles from a ’55 DeSoto, the windshield from a ’47 Mercury, and taillights from a ’39 Mercury. The accessory gauges came from a ’58 Criss Craft, and the steering column’s from a ’41 Buick. Then there’s all the bits and pieces that were hand-made specifically for this truck. Add a hand-built bed, disc brakes and a blown E.F.I. 406 C.I.D. FE Ford, full leather interior, custom-mixed paint, and custom pin-striping by Craig Judd, and you can see why it’s done so well when it’s been shown. Russo and Steele say it’s still show ready, and International Show Car Association eligible.

More details on the 1948 Ford “Vendetta” and the other vehicles in the sale, along with registration forms should you wish to participate in the auction in person or by phone, can be found on Russo and Steele’s website.

Photo credit: 1948 Ford “Vendetta” custom pick up, courtesy of Russo and Steele Collector Automobile Auctions.