They say that everything will eventually become collectible. We don’t know if the buyer of this 2000 Ford F-350 Super Duty chassis-cab bought it for work or collectibility? What we know is that the new owner paid $55,000 for it. But there might be a reason why this old F-350 sold for such a high price.

Why $55,000 for this old F-350 Ford truck?

This Ford F-350 XL has only 6,200 miles on its ticker. And it has other features that some will find attractive, like a six-speed manual transmission with a dual-range transfer case. That’s right, it is also a four-wheel-drive truck with a dually rear end; something fairly rare as commercial trucks go. Ford did away with manual transmission-equipped heavy-duty trucks after 2010. 

The two-door body style is becoming a rare sight these days, and this F-350 is one. Helping to lift the price is that this Ford truck was offered on Bring a Trailer, which tends to see vehicles go for fairly high prices. The site is obviously monitored by those with the cha-cha to step up. 

Really, this 2000 Ford F-350 is a unicorn

Powering this unicorn is a 7.3-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8. With 235 hp, it is no drag racer. But consider that it also has 500 lb-ft of torque, something much more important for these heavy-duty trucks. 

Inside, it is mostly stripper appointments with yards of plastic. The Medium Graphite vinyl interior fits a work truck like this. You were expecting leather? It does flaunt an AM/FM radio, so it has some options installed. 

What’s the Ford F-350 chassis cab’s back story

So how did this truck not get put into service by whoever ordered it? Supposedly, a fire department was the original buyer. Obviously, the red paint lends credence to that. From the limited information that followed the truck, it might have been a “brush truck.” A brush truck is summoned to address more minor fire incidents like a small brush fire. 

Here we are 22 years later and $55,000 still sounds a bit high. Selling for approximately $25,000 when new, that factors into $40,500 today. So $55,000 is fully $15,000 over what it should, theoretically, be worth today. But that doesn’t take into account the odd features and its incredibly low miles. 

The bottom line

So let’s review. A rather rare combo of four-wheel-drive, a dually rear axle, six-speed manual transmission, and single cab body, make it a unicorn of sorts. The low mileage ups the desirability factor plenty. And let’s add that the majority of F-350 trucks were fleet white, so the fire engine red paint is a bonus. 

For truck enthusiasts, this is quite the find. And that’s why $55,000 doesn’t seem so crazy when you factor all of that into the price.