Pre-war vs Post-war Trucks

While talking with my grandfather an interesting topic came up that I thought i'd like to hear everyone's opinion on.

Post-war vs Pre-war Trucks, which one was better built to withstand work, constructed to be the superior workhorse and have overall higher quality and longevity?

Feel free to share your thoughts. I will also be posting an identical thread in the other correlated years (1930 ~ 1960 time era).

Advancements were always being developed and applied so newer trucks should be slightly better up to a point. That said , the k/Kb trucks shared many parts with the earlier "d" series . The hd213 engine was used in a modified form from the mid 30's to the mid 50's. Some of that pre-war stuff was built well but it was a time when things were made to be repaired not replaced. That changed the closer you get to the 60's.
It's hard to say because the post war 40's trucks and even the early 50's were still built more like tractors than the later trucks were.

With no mention about roads and highway speeds, I think what you are asking will get mostly philosophical answers. Most manufacturers have as a guiding concept to build their trucks better today than they did before. That's the same mantra for any business, to do it better and provide better products than before. If pre-war trucks were so great, then why aren't they still being built? Not to say there weren't some really nice trucks built, they were just really nice for their time. I think that the trucks from the '60's are superior to the pre-war trucks for a couple of reasons. They had more capacity, and their safety systems are far better - steering, braking to cite a couple. Looking at the IHC brand alone, for example. Some of the pre-war models had some really nice appearance (C model, D model IMO) and hauled a payload consistent with their time, but the mid '50's had some nice design elements too and they would haul more payload, steer better, had better suspension, and better brakes. Yet the '60's models out-did the '50's with refined suspension, more HP, and refined braking (disc brakes).
So I think it would go without saying that while there were things to like about the pre-war models, the post war models incorporated the improvements that were developed by the war effort years. I think that to put this concept to the extreme, a pristine, wooden wheeled, high wheeler from the early '20's would have no competition from a looks point of view at a truck show, but put it to work against even a IHC from the '70's and the '70 model would out haul, out perform, out brake and essentially do everything better that the early high wheeler.
It's fun to remember the older models and is the basis of this whole forum, but the reality is, the newer the truck, the better - in general - it is.

WEW51L110, your Engineer is showing and that is a good thing. I doubt that anyone could have said it better.
I like vintage vehicles for their styling, only. Even after spending a small fortune on our other non-IHC, it is not close to competing with a new Ford on economy, safety and reliability, not to mention the many other things we expect from our new vehicles.

Since the original post was a comparison of 30's to 60's.
It makes things more subjective. I've had a few 60's trucks of different makes. They were better in most categories but not all. The 60's trucks I drove broke down a lot more. They were designed to have parts replaced not repaired. That has been the trend going forward. To some that is a good thing and to others that is a bad thing. Personally for me it's a toss up. I like the style and easily repairable aspect of the older trucks but the speed comfort and safety of the later trucks. Although some of the early 60's trucks looked great too. A note on safety: many 60's trucks put the fuel tank behind or under the seat. Not very safe.

39_D2, I see your point about pre-war vs. post war in terms of manufacturing philosophies. Good manufacturers are, or should be, in touch with the market their products are intended to serve. Pre war customers were more agricultural and hands on types. The world was changed by the war and, the U.S. in general, moved away from the farm. That trend has well been documented. Manufacturing has followed that trend. Now products are geared to the greatest number of potential customers. If the greatest number of potential customers were still agricultural and hands on, then I think the products would reflect that. I wish the world was still hands on oriented, but alas, it is not.

39_D2, I see your point about pre-war vs. post war in terms of manufacturing philosophies. Good manufacturers are, or should be, in touch with the market their products are intended to serve. Pre war customers were more agricultural and hands on types. The world was changed by the war and, the U.S. in general, moved away from the farm. That trend has well been documented. Manufacturing has followed that trend. Now products are geared to the greatest number of potential customers. If the greatest number of potential customers were still agricultural and hands on, then I think the products would reflect that. I wish the world was still hands on oriented, but alas, it is not.

Yep. We are a more disposable society now. Like everything it has its pros and cons.