I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and my father worked 30 years for General Motors. I was immersed in American car culture early on, and still find myself looking at all the cars and trucks passing on the freeway.

But as much as I enjoy driving today's vehicles, I find myself drawn to the designs of earlier cars and trucks. Look at the smooth and flowing lines of this 1946 Dodge pickup, which remains a classic industrial design of the post World War II period. Every detail contributes to the impression of smooth coolness. If a contemporary automaker replicated this design with today's amentities, it would be a giant hit.

I photographed this truck as it sat on the edge of a sagebrush plain in eastern Washington.

Lee Rentz