55-59 Chevy Trucks

Introduction

The 1955-1959 Chevy trucks are known as the Task Force Trucks. The 55 was a rampant change from the 1954 model. These new trucks were sporty and the new styling was totally different than that of a 54. One interesting fact about these trucks is that they were not quite ready at the start of the model year so Chevrolet continued last year's 1954 model on into 1955 and called them 55 first-series. When the new trucks hit the market, they were called the 55 second-series. This has led to a confusion that still occurs to this day.

During the five years that these trucks were produced changes were made to them.
The 55 chevy pickup. The styling was radically different than that of the 54 model. This new line was called the task force trucks.

The 55-second series was the start of the new styling. It had a large eggcrate style grille with a smooth sloping hood giving it a mean, wide apperance.
The 56 was similar in many respects to the 55 with only subtle changes. If you look closely you can see that the fender emblem has moved above the crease. The fender emblem was the same of that of the 55 except on a black background while the 55 emblem wore a white background.

The 56 was pretty much the same except for a few subtle changes. For example: the fender emblem moved above the crease.

A 57 pickup. The 57's front end changed with a new wide mouth style grille which was very different from the eggcrate grille of 55 and 56. The 57's hood also had a hood with two distinct humps in it which helps to identify one of these trucks.

The 57 changed a bit with a new wide mouth grille design and two little humps in the hood.


Top: 58 fender emblem, Below: 59 fender emblem


The 58 and 59 trucks differ from the previous 3 years with dual headlights and a totally new grille. The 58 and 59 models are similar in many respects except for the fender emblems.

In 58 the front end changed dramaticly. The two headlights on the three previous year's models were replaced with four which meant a new grille which incorporated the park lights on a large bar with two shorter, smaller bars above it. Also the hood was changed; the hood now had a dip in the center between where the humps had been on the 57. 1958 was the year that Chevy started calling it's trucks by the name Apache. The 59 Chevy was identical to the 58 in terms of it's body except for different hood and fender emblems.

The Chevrolet cameo was a styling wonder. The Cameo utilized the stock cab with the big back window and a stepside box with the fenders removed. From there fiberglass bedsides were fitted to the stepside bed to create a unique look. The Cameo's fame was shortlived though as they were discontinued midway through 1958 in favour of the fleetside. Since they were only produced for three years, Cameos are hard to find, but a well restored Cameo, like the 57 seen here can be worth the hunt.
A 59 fleetside. These trucks brought out a change that brought about a styling trend that continues to be seen today.
A 57 panel truck. These trucks are becoming more popular to build even though they are harder to find than the traditional pickup.

The base engine for these trucks was the Thriftmaster 235ci inline 6. There was an optional V-8 available which was the 265 for 55-57 with the 283 offered for 58 and 59. There were five transmissions offered: a three-speed, a heavy-duty three-speed, an overdrive and a fourspeed Hydramatic. The rearends available were the 3.90:1 or 4.11:1 with overdrive for 1/2 tons and 4.57:1 for 3/4 tons.