We all have a story about that one single impossible to find vehicle that stirs up, like nothing else does. The rare 1931 Helms Bakery truck caught my heart and imagination for me. Years ago I started looking for the piece of automotive history that not only encapsulated genius but signified a simpler America, one far less technically advanced, which involved having instructions on how to hook up your delivery truck so that those delivery trucks brought you fresh baked goods right to your door. Fast forward in time, and today I can proudly say I finally found this gem, a true barn find with 95% of the original parts left in it!
Helms Bakery trucks are legendary, especially in Southern California, where they were a staple in Southland neighborhoods from around the 1920s through the 1960s. The Helms trucks were always famed for their distinctive design in particular the Twin Coach model, and for car fans and historians, they have always been a source of fascination. Getting up and going to get started, I was ecstatic to find that my truck was stock minus a select few modifications over the years. Unfortunately, it was missing a couple of critical components: the original cabinets and original whistle. This is because the previous owners removed the cabinets and replaced them with back windows, which did not correspond to the way in which Helms Bakery was configured.
The Helms Bakery trucks have an extensive history, being first featured on the streets of Los Angeles in 1931. The shiny sight of these stylish delivery trucks pulling up to homes, drivers’ sharp suits and bow ties, became synonymous with the smell of fresh bread. The Fageol Brothers patented an ingenious integral chassis and body construction technique; the design of the Fageols Helms trucks. The design enabled a low floor and upright driving position, giving the drivers a quick stop capability and the facility to serve customers quickly.
By the 1930s, the fleet had grown so large — at one point reaching 350 stunning delivery vehicles — that it became its own entity, or Helms Truck and Transport. Families rushed out to hear the truck’s iconic ‘toot-toot’ of its horn, and were treated to their delicious baked goods. What Helms Bakery did for Southern California culture cannot be exaggerated; for countless people, deliveries of Helms came to brighten daily life in a particularly beloved way.
So wondering about the restoration of my first Helms truck (in 2006) I’ve come to understand how connected I became to the community of enthusiasts sharing this passion. Along the way I enjoyed car shows and my Twin Coach truck won several awards, such as a First Junior Award at AACA Hershey and Senior Award at AACA Detroit Lakes. The truck ownership has way more meaning than many people might realize and it’s a great feeling to be able to brush off a bit of the dust and share stories with people who remember Helms trucks.
The restoration process is a labor of love from sourcing parts to gathering knowledge and I am ready to take on the adventure. When I am restoring my Helms Bakery truck, I remember back when it was new and shiny and when you were bursting with excitement to turn on the lights and open the doors. Maybe one day my restored truck will again cover the streets and make those who look at it beam with comfort. I can’t really help but dream about the future and the stories that are going to come along the way. With the open road waiting, I couldn’t be more excited to get behind the wheel of my 1931 Helms Bakery truck and share its storied past with an entire new generation — and family — of enthusiast drivers.
Therefore, thinking about the technical aspects more deeply is called out by the restoration of the Helms Bakery truck. From the bodywork to the engine; every single component I work on has to be intimately familiar with the original specification and the historical detail. In particular, the Helms trucks, but especially the Twin Coach, were intended with a different vision of engineering—one which seamlessly blended the functional and the stylish. The magically looking Fageol Brothers’ unique design of the vehicle made it often possible to do stops frequently and at the same time practical. It is for that reason that I have to keep this equilibrium in play when I am making those restorations.
When I look at the engine, a four cylinder Hercules OOB, I marvel at its engineering. However, since many Helms trucks were overhauled with Ford engines, my original engine is therefore something of a rarity. I take pride in being able to keep this unique part of the trucks history. I’m consulting with automotive historians and mechanics who work on vintage engines, to make sure it will be a success. With their help, I’ll know the finer points of keeping one of these things running and true to its roots.
There are also challenges to the exterior restoration. While it was never directly referenced in the show, what I love to recreate is the original livery of the truck wearing the streets of Los Angeles. What gives these trucks so much of their iconic status is the Helms bakery branding and brightly colored trucks. However what is crucial is finding the correct paint and decals that replicate the original design. Luckily, my network of vintage restoration suppliers can supply what I need to achieve this level of authenticity.
The saga leading up to restoring my 1931 Helms Bakery truck is an emotional (and technical) journey. Every step forward is the poise of passion and dedication, ahead of the mechanical facets to the project. One day I am going to be able to take that expanded history of the Helms Bakery, the community it flourished in and the people, on the open road with me … my restored truck, a proud emblem of what made the Helms Bakery and the larger community it was a part of great. With the help of fellow enthusiasts this piece of history is not going to be a forgotten piece so I will be celebrating it, generation after generation.
Related posts:
At the Helm: The 1931 Twin Coach Delivery Truck — Nostalgia Highway
1931 Twin Coach Bakery Van
Wednesday Journal 112421
