Robert Sarno found his 1929 Chevrolet Canopy Express Huckster five years ago in Maine.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
LIMA – Restoring a 1929 Chevrolet Canopy Express Huckster has been a fitting and fun hobby for Robert Sarno.
The retired 83-year-old small business owner can appreciate the history behind the vehicle. Back in its day, the Huckster served local farmers and merchants who needed to deliver and display their produce and products at open air markets.
Sarno knows all about serving customers.
He started the Lima Pallet Company in the early 1960s. His daughter, Tracie Sanchez, now owns it and the company has grown from seven employees to 54.
“Being successful in business is all about knowing your customers and their needs,” Sarno said.
He had his Huckster at the Allen County Fair Car Show in August.
“My wife Sue and I love taking it to car shows as well as giving the grandkids rides,” Sarno said.
Right now the truck is filled with fake produce to show what it looked like in the 1930s when making its rounds.
“Sue and I go to garage sales asking people if they have any plastic fruit. We get some strange looks at times,” he said with a laugh. “Eventually, I would like to have real fruit. I would love to sell corn, vegetables and fruit out of it. It would be fun talking with all the people.”
Sarno found the Huckster five years ago in Maine. He did some work on it but it was basically in good shape.
A fact sheet he has with the vehicle says its “1957 Chevrolet dual carb Offenhauser manifold transmission is a seven-speed power glide automatic.”
The truck’s rear end is from an S-10 pickup. It has a “chrome tilt steering column with banjo steering wheel rack and pinion steering.” A custom hidden gas tank can be found in the leather in the bed of the truck.
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