Greenlight 1972 Ford F-350 Ramp Truck and 1965 Shelby Cobra 427/SC

With the success of Hitch and Tow it was bound to happen that more and more trucks are starting to appear in the Greenlight line, now growing even more with the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty line joining the group.  It was only a matter of time before a dually pickup would arrive and while that is still in the wishing process theoretically it is already here in the form of this 1972 Ford F-350 chassis cab where the bed area is replaced with a flatbed ramp truck, and on it is a sharp Shelby Cobra 427.

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Heavy duty trucks have been a part of the Ford line since the Model T, special models that usually are chassis cab models with the back part empty for any service body to be placed on it.  in the 1950's and 1960's the heavy duty trucks also shared styling components with the light-duty pickup line, but by this fifth-generation F-series the difference was wearing thin as the heavy-duty models like the F-250 and F-350 have started to adopt the light-duty F-100 and F-150 look and it would continue more so into the next-generations with dual rear wheels on a pickup bed and diesel motors.  This 1972 F-350 has a 390 CID V8 mated to a three-speed automatic to dual rear wheels.  The ramp truck was the precursor to the flatbed trailer as it uses a flatbed design at an angle to support vehicles on a short-wheelbase truck chassis.  On  some models the flatbed would extend over the cab to support any vehicle while keeping the wheelbase short.  When hydraulics from dump trucks find their way into tow trucks the standard flatbed design with a parallel to the ground design would replace the ramp truck as the more common choice.

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This red truck is the longest truck in the Greenlight line that matches the heavy-duty trucks from International and the RV's in the Heavy Duty line.  Despite the size this truck is light due to the fact that the ramp truck accessory is made of plastic.  The ramps are similar to the ones used in the Hitch and Tow line and work great here.  The ramp is black plastic with rails on the edges, while behind the cab is a rollbar with spot lights and a winch.  Tabs at the top of the ramp are designed to block the wheels to prevent the car from driving off the ramp even though the ramp arms do most of the work as well.  On the outside are running lights and two toolbox areas.  Chrome wheels with recessed dual rear wheel design look great on this truck and those large tow mirrors work great for a truck this size.  The front of the cab is very similar to the F-100 casting with split-bar front grille, round headlights, signal lights below, and a nice Ford plate up front.  The sides have the F350 badges on the hood, door handles, and a black top to accent the ramp truck design.

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Inside the interior has the same dashboard, steering wheel, and bench seat layout as the F100 casting, while the hood opens to show off that 390 V8 in blue.  The base underneath is plastic and is light on details.  The other story to this set is the Shelby Cobra 427/SC casting, a Motor World casting so it has a plastic base and no opening parts, but the level of detail is incredible for such a low-end Greenlight casting.  Decked out in black with red stripe up front and white door circles this Cobra looks ready for racing.  The front has round headlights, signal lights, oval grille section, and chrome bumper tips.  The hood has a bulge and silver latches that adorn the rising front fenders.  The front fenders also get the sponsor decals alongside the gills and lower side exhaust.  The rear has a chrome rollbar for the driver, a windshield that has the proper dash-mounted rearview mirror, silver gas cap, round taillights, and a chrome rear bumper.

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The interior has seating for two with detailed shifter, parking brake, 3-spoke steering wheel, and flat dashboard with plenty of gauges.  Those gray multi-spoke wheels with spinner center caps and Goodyear rubber tires are just so appropriate for this car.  Even the base despite being plastic has the proper Cobra drivetrain layout.  For such a small and lightweight car it is fast and handles well, and for those looking for a metal base Greenlight is tooling one for the upcoming Motor World replacement series for all Motor World castings.  This is a stellar set that includes a nice classic F-350 Ramp truck in red in its first debut carrying a classic Shelby Cobra 427/SC in black with racing graphics.  How good can life get?

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