Jeep FC-150

 

The Forward Control is a cool and unusual classic Jeep pickup. It is often not the first vehicle people think of when they think of Jeep, but the Forward Control is a significant vehicle in Jeep's history. It was produced by Willys from 1956 to 1965 and given its name due to its overall design, which is cab-over-engine. This specific example is an FC-150 and was originally designated for military use (or at least appears that way). The "150" part of its name stands for the vehicle's overall length, which is almost 150 inches long. Powering the FC-150 is a 2.2-liter Hurricane F-head four-cylinder with 72 horsepower and 115 lb-ft of torque paired to either a 3-speed or 4-speed Borg-Warner manual gearbox. It also borrows the chassis and running gear from the CJ-5 for cost-cutting and cross-compatibility purposes. The goal of the Forward Control's overall design is to to utilize and maximize as much payload capacity as possible. As expected with a truck like this, the FC-150's interior is fairly spartan and doesn't offer too many creature comforts. 

Besides the FC-150, Willys offered other versions of the Forward Control with longer beds and converted into other forms such as ambulances, buses, and fire engines. However, the Forward Control wasn't as successful as other Jeep models, especially in the U.S. Jeep has previously resurrected the Forward Control in concept form based on the Wrangler at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah, and those newer Wrangler-based concepts look pretty strange. Values for the Jeep FC-150 currently vary between $20,000 and $50,000 depending on their condition. In all, the Jeep Forward Control is a quirky and fascinating classic truck. I saw the example featured here at a car show almost three months ago, and out of all the vehicles on display there, it was one that stood out to me the most. 

P.S. My merch store is having a sale! This week only: Use code "BDAY" for 25% off your purchase now through August 14: CPF Store