Right now (2009) GM, Ford and Chrysler are toughing it out in about the leanest time the car manufacturing industry has had since the Great Depression. It is possible at least one of the above will not survive, certainly not without massive US Government aid.

They were imported in knock down form from Canada and assembled here, most likely in Adelaide. They all featured a 218 cubic inch straight six engine and a three speed manual gearbox. The Fargo name is in itself a story. It started in 1913 as the Fargo Motor Car Company in Chicago, but was not part of Chrysler, which did not put up its shingle until 1924/5.

Fargo Motor Car Company folded in 1922 and in 1928 Chrysler resurrected the Fargo name as the Fargo Motor Corporation, to build and sell trucks. At this stage Chrysler was still to take over Dodge Brothers, a company already into light truck production. When the acquisition went through Chrysler ended up with three truck lines: Dodge, Fargo and the medium to heavy Graham Brothers Trucks, built and marketed by Dodge since 1922.

Since the Graham Brothers were leaving Dodge to start their own business, the Graham name was dropped and the vehicles re-badged as Dodge Brothers and offered next to the Fargo. Poor old Fargo, with just under 8000 sales in two years, fell victim to the Great Depression and the Fargo moniker was dropped in 1930. That should have been the end of the line for the Fargo name.

However, when Dodge looked around for a name to give it's export truck business, the Fargo name once again appeared on Dodge product. In the early 1930s the Fargo identity started to emerge to give the trucks a point of difference from Dodge product. A globe bonnet emblem was developed and the grille was different to Dodge, looking more Plymouth.

Fargo trucks continued to be manufactured through WW2 although not in great numbers.

After the war, in 1948 a slick new light truck came from Chrysler, badged as Dodge and Fargo, but with similar underpinnings.

 Major differences were visual with hubcaps, nameplates, the globe bonnet mascot, and the Fargo name stamped in large letters across the tailgate. The headlights were mounted into the front mudguards which flowed neatly back to link in with the doors.

The tray took a similar line and gave nothing away in width, unlike some competitors, and indeed other Dodge pickups, which have large mudguards which look great, but limited tray cargo width. Australian Dodge/Fargo trucks had small rear wheel arch flares, just enough to break up the flat side and matched by a similar look on the front guards.

The main impression is of a practical utility, rather than a macho light truck. The bonnet was still the old style, opening to the side, on both sides. Great for checking the oil or spark plugs, not so good for major engine work. The bonnet sweeps back to a split windscreen in an extremely high cabin, hence the name Pilot House Cab ... seemingly tall enough to accommodate some good 'ol Texas boy sporting a 10 gallon hat.