A Provocative Pickup: The 1934 Terraplane

Can a pickup be sexy?  To answer that question, we give you the 1934 Terraplane...If this Terraplane looks familiar, it should.  The proud owner of this vehicle is Press Kale, whose 1949 Hudson Convertible we covered in a recent Car Crash feature.  Currently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, this rare Terraplane is one of the key display vehicles in their new exhibit, titled Pickups: The Art of Utility."The Terraplane was one of the sleekest pickup trucks of the era and proved popular with style-conscious motorists.Built between 1932 and 1938, the Terraplane began as a model in the Hudson lineup before becoming a marque in its own right in 1934, the year in which it was significantly restyled.The newly streamlined half-ton pickup shared many styling features of the remainder of the Terraplane model line, making it one of the sleekest pickup trucks of the era and increasing its marketability to style-conscious motorists who may have otherwise resisted buying a utility vehicle.One of an extremely small number of survivors, this pickup was painstakingly restored to as-new condition by the current owner."  In our interview with Press about his '49 Hudson Convertible, he mentioned that this truck is one of only three that remain today.This exquisite Terraplane is certainly one of the centerpieces of the Petersen's Pickup exhibit.  There are more gems in this exhibit, and we'll be bringing you highlights soon, as there are more outstanding pickups that we know you'll want to see!