1974 Ford C-700 Truck, Used by Roadway Express

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Artifact Overview

Roadway Express, Inc. operated this Ford C-series truck in Lexington, Kentucky. The truck's functionality proved useful to the company's local pickup and delivery service. Designated unit 23704, it was a workhorse for the company for sixteen years, before being retired to The Henry Ford.

Roadway Express, Inc. purchased this Ford 707E C-Series truck in 1974. Designated unit 23704, this truck served as a pickup and delivery vehicle in and around Lexington, Kentucky. The truck made 13.5 stops per day on average and drivers logged over 120,000 miles without an accident. By the time of its retirement in 1990, Number 23704 carried 73,940 shipments totaling over 44.3 million pounds of freight. Roadway Express operated 3200 similar Ford trucks in other cities.

Ford's C-series truck relied on functionality not style. The truck sports a flat front, cab-over-engine design. The cab tilts forward to provide easy access for engine and chassis maintenance. Its set-back front axle allows the truck a tight turning radius for greater maneuverability. And the expansive glassed-in cab offers the driver greater visibility. Introduced in 1957, Ford produced the trucks until 1990.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Truck

Date Made

1974

Creators

Place of Creation

Creator Notes

Body and Chassis made by Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan. Rear rollup door made by Whiting Door Manufacturing, Corp., Akron, New York.

Location

at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America

Object ID

90.191.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Roadway Express, Inc.

Material

Metal
Glass (Material)
Rubber (Material)

Color

Gray (Color)
Orange (Color)
Black (Color)

Dimensions

Width: 95 in
Length: 356 in

Inscriptions

Painted on doors of cab: ROADWAY / Express, Inc / ICC-22002 / 23704 Decal on side of cab: FORD 700 Front of cab: FORD Painted on side of box of truck: ROADWAY In triangle on right side of body: Radioactive In triangle on left side of body: Drive safely Rear door of body: Roadway / 23704 In triangle on rear of body: Drive Safely Plate on body door: Rollup door MFG. B / Whiting / US PAT ENG. CO. 2786172 / Akron, New York

Specifications

Make & Model: 1974 Ford C-700 truck
Maker: Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, Michigan
Engine: V-8, overhead valves, 361 cubic inches
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Height: 7 feet 9 inches
Width: 7 feet 11 inches
Wheelbase: 206 inches
Overall length: 29 feet 8 inches
Horsepower: 169 at 3600 revolutions per minutes
Weight: 12,300 pounds
Pounds per horsepower: 72.8
Price: $8,058
Average 1974 wage: $9,867 per year
Time you'd work to buy this truck: about 10 months
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