Technically, Lot S181 up for bidding today at Mecum Auctions’ sale in Portland, Oregon, is a highly customized 1950 Chevrolet bread delivery van powered by 383 cubic-inch “stroker” engine linked to a 700R4 automatic transmission.
But the “bread” this truck will deliver isn’t the kind that comes out of an oven. Instead, proceeds from the van’s sale will benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Full disclosure: ClassicCars.com is affiliated with Shriners in more than one way. For one thing, it partners with us for our auction preview tours. For another, our editorial director was a patient at Shriners when he was a child and teenager.
The owner of the truck is donating the proceeds from its sale to the pediatric healthcare system that treats children with orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, burns, and cleft lip and palate conditions through 22 locations in North America, Canada and Mexico. More than 1.3 million children have been treated at those centers, at no cost to their families.
The hospitals not only deliver expert care, but do ground-breaking research and provide world-class medical education.
The van itself is outfitted to carry people, not baked goods, and has a big-screen television as well.
For more photos of the van, see the auction website. For more information on the hospitals, visit their website.
