A different truck buyer emerged on the opposite end of World War II. Young men who had been deployed to the European or Pacific theaters had seen first-hand the utility of Willys Jeeps, GMC trucks, and half-tracks to tame the extreme terrain caused by excessive rain, snow, heat, or, in many cases, bombings.

The Dodge Power Wagon presented a viable option in those postwar days: big, rugged, and imposing, the civilian full-size shared several assets with its wartime cousins. Brochures would advertise the truck as a “self-propelled power plant,” and show the truck performing feats in multiple industries, from mining to oil drilling, to demonstrate the sheer “POWER” one could find underneath the hood.

One of the innovations brought into the civilian world was the 4WD system, which had a shifter placed inside the cab to save the driver the time of having to get out and manually lock his hubs. Running on a flathead six-cylinder engine, it was mated to a four-speed tranny and had a lengthy wheelbase of 126 inches, and was touted to haul up to 3,000 pounds.

For its time, the Power Wagon was a monster of a vehicle. It still is today, to some degree, and the one found in Hemmings has had some terrific modifications made to bring it into the 21st century, such as the interior, which now sports a paisley look in the seat upholstery and door panels.

The original flat-head motor was swapped out for a Mopar 318 ci V8 with headers and a Holley four-barrel carb. Much of the truck’s guts are still original though, such as the transfer case and power take-off.

All in all, this ’49 Power Wagon presents itself as a robust, burly truck with some WWII-era bona fides, perfect for collectors of old-timey trucks. Would you consider ever having a Power Wagon in your possession? If you’ve got the $35,900 the owner is asking for, then this old Dodge is ready to help you start up your fledgling classic collection or complete that Dodge check list.