A young friend was showing me his new Dodge pickup when another old-timer and I got to discussing how in our day, a Dodge truck in Canada was called a Fargo,

There were several other different names for auto brands...can you help me out?

There were no Chevy half-tons--they were all GMC's
Pontiac Catalina's were Pariseians

There were ford and mercury trucks, but mercury had their own line of cars. (cougars being one example)

The Fargo name dates back to before Chrysler took over Dodge Bros. It was their truck name, but it was short lived. The Fargo was then used in Canada as the truck name for Plymouth dealers. Dodge dealers used Dodge. Fargo was also used as an export truck name.

I'm having a hard time using Ram, a name used most often for a Dodge engine. My pickup is a Dodge

I once owned a 1969 Fargo half-ton
318 c.i. engine, auto transmission, bucket seats. No power steering or brakes. It was chore to stay at a safe speed down a long bush road hill.
Great truck. It got 16 mpg uphill, downhill, loaded, empty, with the wind, against the wind..........didn't matter.

Maybe in your part of the country. Chev 1/2 tons were as common as could be in Canada.

An old friend of mine managed to find a Plymouth truck from the 30's or 40's.

Lots of Fargo trucks, Mercury, and GMC as well. Maple Leaf trucks were also made by GM.

Some of the hottest trucks in the 50's were the old Dodge and Fargo one tons with the old hemi. In the early 60's, the big Dodge and Fargo trucks could be had with IH gas engines.

The trucks in the 50's and 60's had character. All the big trucks were "character builders".

Our old Fargo was not the best 'winter starter', if you walked past it holding an ice cream cone in summer it needed a boost to start...

I had a 1950 1 ton Ugliest truck I ever owned

when the Chrysler corp or their owners [can't remember name ] bought the FORD [Sterling line ,large trucks they brought out the Sterling pickup which was a dodge with a different name]

norm

I remember a lot of Fargo farm trucks, as well as Internationals (or "Trash n' Oils" as my grandfather called them).

SS

If my memory has not gone out the window Chevrolet had the 1/2 ton, but if you wanted bigger you had to go to GMC. GMC was the heavy division. They built the heavy duty pickups and trucks, where Chevy built cars and the 1/2 ton pickup which was actually built by GMC and badged Chevrolet.

The auto divisions acted like their own companies. I remember seeing Chevy concrete tandem trucks, with independent front suspension. GMC wouldn't be that goofy.

Daimler bought Freightliner and others, they also owned Chrysler at the time.

In 1959 & 1960, I worked summers on a dairy farm and the farm truck was a 1949 chevy 3 ton (or 5 ton, I don't remember), so I'm sure chevy was making more than 1/2 tons.

others would be Western Star and Fords Sterling line

norm

My friend's Dad owned a big old #80 twin screw concrete mixer with a 348 and independent front suspension. Somehow, I don't think that old truck would have passed a safety in this day and age.

Chevrolet definitely made trucks bigger than 1/2 ton. Most of the big old GM road tractors I remember as a kid were GMC, though. Some of the old trucks on the road when I was a kid were dripping with character. I remember seeing a truck at our local ESSO that had an Allis Chalmers engine.

Didn't Studebaker make a pickup of sorts way back?

Dad had a 1956 Fargo step side with a hardwood floor in the bed.
Also had a 63 GMC with a three on the tree .... Just a half ton