Neo 1:64 1954 GM 950 Cannonball Sleeper Cab, Orange

This is a detailed resin model that comes mounted on a stand in an acrylic display case

The Cannonball GMC series 950 cab over engine 6 and 10 wheel trucks were heavy diesel highway trucks. They had 671 GM diesel engines in them. The model 950 GMCs were available with a small sleeper and that small sleeper is what got them the nickname Cannonball, because that sleeper allowed the drivers to make those extra-long runs.

The unique COE body design that general motors came up with was perhaps one of the first aerodynamic designs ever put on a truck by GM because it reduced airflow around the truck and around the trailer with the design. General Motors made a unique body design by placing the cab over top of the engine, or this is a COE for short. This design shortened the wheelbase of the tractor significantly and this design allowed the same payload to be carried by a shorter truck trailer combination.

In the 1950s, 40s and 60s length laws were very strict, particularly in the East. The West, they were a little looser, but length laws, bumper to tailgate were very strict on trucks. So, the shorter that you could make the cab, the longer the trailer you could haul, giving you more cargo space. That’s why COEs reigned supreme. And that’s the same reason the COE reigns supreme in Europe today, because of the small roads that they have to drive on and they want to maximize the amount of payload they can carry. Interesting note, even in Australia, the great Outback, they still run cab overs because of bumper to tailgate, length laws.