This 1996 Ford F-350 Centaurus III is a seriously cool and seriously rare rig.
Rare Oddity
Most Blue Oval fans are well aware of the many cool - and oftentimes bizarre - conversions completed by the folks at Centurion over the years, which helped provide customers with vehicles that Ford simply didn't build at the time. However, fewer are likely familiar with a company called Centaurus, which created some similar machines - such as this 1996 Ford F-350 Centaurus III that recently popped up for sale at Platinum Motors.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Best of Both Worlds
Centaurus originally started out building conversion vans in the early 1990s, but by 1998, had completely gone out of business as it failed to gain traction in a competitive marketplace. However, during that short period of time, the company worked its magic on a wide variety of vehicles - including this Centaurus III, which was intended to combine the best attributes of a conversion van with a highly capable pickup.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Period Specific
This particular truck started life as a regular old F-350 in Crew Cab, long bed configuration, to which Centaurus added all of the requisite kit that people loved during this time period - things like wind deflectors and visors, a brush guard, ground effects, and truly period paint jobs.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Luxurious Cabin
Of course, the interior is really where it's at, because one will find luxurious additions like leather seats, real walnut trim, plush carpet, ambient lighting, and all of the things that people loved about conversion vans - items like TVs, CB radios, and in the case of this example, even a car phone.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Reliable Mill
As far as power goes, you can't go wrong with the trusty old 7.3-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel, which is one of the more beloved oil burners in Blue Oval history. It's a supremely reliable powerplant, and one that churns out more than enough power to tow and haul things, even if it pales in comparison to today's ultra-powerful (though perhaps less reliable) units.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Rarely Driven
As far as this truck goes, well, they simply don't get much better, as it has a mere 1,668 original miles showing on the odometer. It's a one-owner vehicle that was apparently purchased and rarely driven, interestingly enough, even though it was clearly built specifically for the long haul.
Photos: Platinum Motors
Pricey Proposition
Trouble is, the seller isn't exactly willing to take pennies on the dollar for this amazing survivor, which might just be the lowest-mile example of its kind. Rather, the asking price is a steep $69,990, though, in all fairness, regular, non-Centaurus trucks of this vintage are getting pretty expensive, too.
Photos: Platinum Motors
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