c.1954 Dunwell Snow Crop Refrigerator Truck in Original Box
Magnificent pressed steel Snow Crop Refrigerator Transport Truck manufactured by Dunwell Metal Products Co., Clifton, NJ. Incredible store stock example only recently opened. Immaculate mint condition in original box! As a toy truck.... it's just beautiful! Here's a nearly 2 foot long stark white truck. From one end to the other all you see is bright, bright, white. The only colored metal parts are the solid blue rear double doors which have never been opened. Set onto the trailer's enameled white sides are a pair of huge multicolored Snow Crop food trademarks. One on each side of the trailer. Each shows a lounging white bear laying across the frosted Snow Crop name. To the left is a huge can of frozen orange juice. On the right is an immense box of frozen "stuff". Stuff=chicken, carrots, peas, asparagus, corn, and other unidentified things. The truck rolls on 14 thick, black, heavy tread rubber tires. Eight of them are set in double tandem rockers onto the trailers' rear. In addition it has a pair of smaller swing down, rubber parking tires. The cab also has rear tandems and single tires up front. All wheel centers are covered with silvery, die punched aluminum. Dunwell was a short-lived company which gained fame by producing an accurate line of cab-forward Ford Motor toy trucks in 1954. Their trademark was a red, circular "certified toy" decal applied to both cab doors. Within four or five years the Dunwell company was acquired by the Fame Metal Products Company. Fame continued producing the Snow Crop truck under the Dunwell name, but used a gold oblong door decal. There was also a small difference in the front grille. Within a year or two the company was again acquired, but this time by the large Ohio Art Company. Once more the Snow Crop truck was produced, but now by Ohio Art, and with an Ohio Art decal. This auction features the first and original version of the truck. The truck comes in its original plain cardboard box. The Dunwell trademark, truck catalog number, and name were printed in red. Included inside is the original wax paper and brown kraft paper packaging. One end of the box is still factory sealed. Size: 23½" Date Sold: Oct. 2009
This truck came from a long defunct toy store in New York City. I purchased it from the grandson of the original owner. The grandson was the first to open the 55 year old box. I'm sure that the proximity of Clifton to NYC, approximately 15 minutes, had a lot to do with it's presence.
Price Sold: $ 1314
