Dave Shuklis and "Smitty" Model Plans and a Model Mystery

In the early Sixties, Auto World published – both in the pages of Car Model magazine, and in the pages of its famed catalogs – how-to plans by its technical consultant Dave Shuklis. These plans are exceptionally rare right now, and the Museum is looking for these plans. If you have an original plan sheet and wish to donate it (or an excellent photocopy), please contact the Museum. Check out one advertising sheet below for a sample of these Shuklis model plan advertisements.

With that as a background, consider this mystery: When the Museum acquired the Shuklis collection many years ago a converted 1940 Ford pickup was part of that collection. Since that time, Mark S. Gustavson and model car historian Dennis Doty have come to doubt that the burgundy metallic model was built by Dave. Some of opined that it was built by "Smitty" (who built the exceptionally influential Crusader).

Can anyone in the audience help us with Shuklis and Smitty plans, and can anyone identify the builder of the pictured '40 Ford pickup? Please advise the Museum if you know anything authoritative.

These very imaginative models were central to the advancement of the hobby in the early Sixties. Do you have any of the plans, or more advert sheets like this one that depict different models? Please contact the Museum.

Auto World's "Smitty" was a major force in Car Model magazine. He did custom plans for kits that Auto World sold, and this sheet was found in 1960 and 1961 AW catalogs. 

This model was built from the AMT 1939/40 Ford Tudor sedan kit (much before the Monogram kit), but it certainly doesn't appear to match the model in the Smitty kid advertisement pictured above. Please research your records and let us know what you think.

Compare this view also with the Smitty advert. The back of the cab is more rounded at the upper end, the grille is different, the A pillars are differently angled, and there other differences. So, you tell us – Is this model a derivation of the Smitty piece, or a previously unknown Shuklis piece?