1940 GMC AC 101 Panel Truck
Commercial durability met practical design in the 1940 GMC AC 101 Panel Truck, a vehicle that reflected General Motors’ commitment to the growing light-duty delivery market.
These panel trucks served businesses across America, hauling everything from bakery goods to repair equipment on both city streets and rural routes.
The AC 101 featured GMC’s distinctive front-end styling with prominent horizontal grille bars and integrated headlights. The enclosed cargo area provided weather protection for valuable merchandise while maintaining a professional appearance for business use.
Many originally carried painted commercial liveries on the sides, advertising the companies that relied on these dependable workhorses.
Under the hood sat GMC’s 228-cubic-inch overhead valve inline six-cylinder engine, introduced in 1939 as part of significant mechanical upgrades.
While it shared some design principles with Chevrolet’s engines, the GMC unit was built with heavier-duty components suited for sustained commercial use. Hot rodders later nicknamed these engines “Jimmy” during the 1950s, recognizing their strength and performance potential.
Today, unmodified examples are difficult to find, as many AC 101s were either worn out through hard service or altered over the decades.
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