It is always cool when we hear stories of guys who worked for a particular car or truck company, and who have such deep affection for the stuff that they were working on that they bought one for themselves. This is all well and good if you work for Ford. What about if you work for Mack?

If you are Lester Mason, a former 25-year employee of Mack, you seek out and find the truck of your dreams. In his case Mason really lucked out, scoring the very first 1950 Mack A20 to ever come off the assembly line. That’s right, serial number 1001.

This story from Maryland’s Herald-Mail tells of a restoration worked on during nights and weekends, as well as the deeper tale of an iconic American brand that represents strength, dignity, and hard work.