Your are partially correct about economics, but trucks, All trucks, back in the day were All Registered as Commercial Vehicles & weren't treated the same as a Car was.
Companies, Businesses, Ranchers & Farmers were the only 1's that required trucks in order to accomplish specific tasks, City Dwellers & Suburban Families did not Require a truck for their use, though today it's used more as a Statis Symble than anything in Suburbia.
So "LOCKS" were an Option, as I've Read in the Lit. from FoMoCo, Come across in my Life & read about a Great Many trucks in Posts on the Net that Have NO Locks @ all in Either Door.
If you wanted a to be able to Lock your truck it was placed in the Passenger Door so as to Conform to States Laws forebidding anyone from exiting from the Driveride Door & it Did Not Matter if someone Looked or Not before exiting in that fashion because ILLEGAL to exit into Traffic Means Just That & you Were Issued a Ticket & Paid a Fine if caught doing so.

 

An alternative is to go electric on the locks (both sides). I'm not a huge fan of such modern conveniences on an old truck, but I need an alarm anyway, so why not? I loathe drilling and filing on such a prominent place, one slip and....

 

If you ever watch the old movies from mid 50s to at least 40s you'll often see scenes where the driver parks his car and slides out the right side door.

 

I went to drop off some parts to my mechanic today and to visit my truck. With your tips I was able to lock the door, I was pretty stoked.

Just hold the handle down and close the door, and there you go door locked from the outside. Now I just need to get a key cylinder and key for the passenger door and I'm good to go!

 

I was going to lock up my doors last night but I'm glad I tested the passenger lock first because my key doesnt unlock it
I don't have the door key, I suppose it was lost sometime in the last oh.. 51 years. :P
I will be purchasing a matching ignition cylinder / door lock kit from Midfifty sometime today..

 

Henry Ford was about making money (cutting costs) that's for sure. But also, he was a tyrant. He thought everybody should do everything the way he did. If he didn't think you should get out on the drivers side,(JMO) he probably, would just fix it so nobody could!........ He didn't think his employee's should smoke or drink, so he would go to their homes, unannounced, and check them. If he smelled smoke or boose, he would fire them on the spot.
_______________________
XFM....

 

Haha
Surprised theres not a major motion picture about him..

 

1947 Henry Ford dies at age 83, at Fair Lane, his Dearborn home.

He had No enfluence over the '57-'60 model trucks & I as I KEEP Stating, The TRAFFIC LAWS Made it ILLEGAL to EXIT from the DRIVERSIDE DOOR into TRAFFIC while PARALELL PARKED Are the REASON for why No locks are on the Driverside Door. This Law is Still on the Books in the Majority of the States in the U.S.

 

Colonel,

I've heard that its illegal in most states to exit your vehicles from the Driver side.. is that true? Maybe THATS why Ford did it that way...

>

 

Weather the law was 50 years ago or today, I still get sketchy about getting out on the street side and am overly cautious. Especially here in LA where every other person is glued to their phone, text-messaging, personal computers or organizers. It would only take a small error to take me out while I'm getting out of the truck/car. Especially on a Sunday and I'm not exagerating, if you drive on any side st on Ventura Blvd, or any other areas. You can see cars that are all smashed up on the drivers side from late night (club going/bar visiting) people.

Other than new locks, one of my first and most valuable upgrades/repairs on my truck was a horn. I take great pride in waking people up on the road.

I would never go power locks it's just not my thing. Now that I know it locks on the drivers I'm all set. Just makes me feel better about leaving my registration, insurance card, and misc in my cab.