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This truck was manufactured for Western Auto in 1963. Per Patrick O'Neil, "The original plan for the Western Auto was to use the 'Jet Delivery' platform; red truck/white roof and side panels; with the Western Auto logo being placed where the 'Jet Delivery' logo went on the production truck. This was presented to Western Auto, but they changed to the basic pickup design (cheaper retail)."
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, excellent plus paint with few scratches and excellent plus decals, no carton, sold on eBay for $171 USD in early October 2007.
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, near mint plus condition, no carton, sold on eBay for $325 USD in late February 2009. (this puppy looked new).
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, excellent to near mint condition, bright paint, mint decals. with an excellent crisp carton, sold on eBay for $1010 USD in late January 2010.
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, near mint plus condition, bright paint, mint decals, with a near mint crisp carton, sold on eBay for $570 USD in early March 2010. NOTE: This truck was well bought compared to the truck that sold in January 2010.
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, excellent plus condition, bright paint, small hole in windshield, mint decals. sold on eBay for $110 USD in early October 2011.
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1963 truck, excellent condition, bright paint, numerous paint chips in bed, scattered paint chips on cab and roof, mint decals. sold on eBay for $150 USD in late january 2012.
While the 1963 Western Auto pickup has been well documented online and in DeSalle's reference book, the 1965 is never mentioned. In fact, my initial reaction when I saw a '65 on eBay for the first time in September 2007, was that it was a "custom made" truck. There have been other 1965 Western Auto pickups at auction since, including the one featured just below. And to back up this variation, there's one featured in Western Auto's 1965 Christmas Gift catalog.
Value: A clean, original, unretouched, complete 1965 truck, excellent paint with some play-wear, excellent plus decals, no carton, sold on eBay for $64 USD in mid October 2007.
Value: An original, unretouched, complete 1965 truck, very good, some what dulled paint with typical play-wear, excellent decals, no carton, sold on eBay for $67 USD in early December 2007.
Value: An original, unretouched, complete 1965 truck, near mint plus condition, decals mint, with its excellent plus carton, sold on eBay for $605 USD in mid May 2010.
Value: An original, unretouched, complete 1965 truck, near mint plus condition, decals mint, no carton, sold on eBay for $382 USD in late June 2010.
Then there are the 1974 and 1975 Western Auto pickups that get very little if any respect. The 1974 version is based on Tonka's standard model #2360 Style-Side pickup. There appear to be two variations in 1974. Variation #1 is painted the same as the standard 1974 model #2360. Variation #2 is the same EXCEPT the tailgate is black, not ocher (orange). A trailer hitch is on both. Note that the door decals are adhesive backed. Previous Western Auto pickups used water slide decals.
I recently unearthed a May 1998 article written by Lloyd Laumann for "Toy Trucker & Contractor" magazine. Tonka historian Laumann offers the following on the 1975 Western Auto pickup. "Tonka used the standard .... 1975 model #2360 Style-Side pickup (but) with the chassis, box and cab painted bronze, a beige cab roof, and XR-101 tires with white hubs were used on this special." The door decal is the same as used on the 1974.
Value: The original, unretouched, complete 1975 truck, featured just below, 1 door decal totally faded, no carton, sold on eBay for only $27 USD in early April 2012.
