Vintage Snapshots: Chevy And GMC Trucks, As They Were In The ’50s & ’60s

Text by Patrick Bell.

Our feature today is General Motors trucks from the middle part of the last century.  They will trigger memories for many, including myself.  They were very common on the road, but not in the same way as they in today’s world.  You only bought a truck if you needed one back then, now they are the family sedan.  We have a good variety of images, so let’s take a look.

Someone took a photo of their nice, new ’57 Chevrolet Task-Force Model 3204 (1/2 ton, long wheelbase) equipped with the optional “Trademaster” 265 V8 and Hydra-Matic transmission.  Perhaps it was a new tow vehicle for the travel trailer in the background, and his bumper/hitch had yet to be installed.  The trees were blooming. so it was a warm spring day.

GMC’s version of the ’47-’55 Advanced Design was called the “New Design”, and details about them are hard to find.  This one had no vent windows, which makes it a ’47-’50 model, appears to be a 1/2 ton, and it looked close to new in this image.

Here were two cattle haulers either loading or unloading around Omaha, Nebraska per the image caption.  The one on the right was a ’52 or ’53 Chevrolet Advanced Design perhaps a 4409 Stake model with a Nebraska license plate of the same vintage and an aftermarket sun visor.  On the left was a Federal from the forties.

A pair of trailer park residents or visitors on a cloudy day.  First up was a ’52 or ’53 Chevrolet Advanced Design Model 3104 (1/2 ton, short wheelbase) with the optional rear corner windows, a few custom touches, and what appears to be a California license plate.  Following was a ’53 Mercury Monterey Special Custom 4 door sedan.

“Moving day in North Dakota 1960” is the caption that came up in a search.  The notes indicate it was after an auction.  The truck had a white grille, which if it was correct made it a ’55 1st series Chevrolet Advanced Design 4408 Platform model with custom built bed sides.  The ’54 models had the same grille except it was body color.

This looks like a warm and sunny late winter or early spring day, likely in New Mexico, where this ’58 Chevrolet Task-Force Apache Model 3104 Stepside was from.  It was equipped with a six cylinder, a rear hub cap from an older model pickup, an aftermarket rear step bumper, and was registered in Bernalillo County, where the seat is Albuquerque.

Now we had a ’55 Chevrolet Task-Force Model 3104 from Carroll County, Iowa, where the seat is a town of the same name.  It was a six cylinder model with a bed rack and looked close to new.  There is a name on the rack that could either be the company that made the rack or the one who owned the truck.

Ray Collier was a tree sprayer in the Portland, Oregon, area in the fifties and sixties.  This ’57 GMC Blue Chip 250 with Deluxe cab, Wrap Around rear window, V8, specialized bed, and 4 wheel drive was #2 in his fleet.  The four wheel drive unit likely was a NAPCO Powr-Pak that was offered as a factory option beginning in ’56.  There was another GMC in the garage that is difficult to see, but it fits the ’63-’66 model range.

Texas was home for this ’58 Chevrolet Task-Force Apache Model 3104 Stepside.  It was equipped with a six cylinder, Full-View wraparound rear window, and the Custom Cab package which included chrome grille, bumper, hub caps, and windshield molding.

Here was a dapper gentleman with a new ’60 or ’61 GMC with a V6, chrome grille, and bumper.  Perhaps he was heading to town for an evening out.  In the right background was a ’58 Ford F-series.

A traveling man with a ’62 GMC Model 1502 (3/4 ton) Custom Cab Wide-Side with a V6, cabover camper, West Coast mirrors, and an interesting minibike strapped to the front end.  I remember rigs like this very well as they were very popular during my growing up years.  Parked behind was a ’61 Ford Galaxie Club Victoria.

Another ’62 GMC on the beach, this one also looks like a Model 1502 going by the wheels and tires, but a Deluxe (standard) Cab Wide-Side.  It also was V6 equipped, with a small camper, interesting roof rack, possibly a bed mounted auxiliary fuel tank, and a rear mounted spare.  Following behind was a ’62 Pontiac Bonneville Sports Coupe, with a ’59 Chevrolet Impala convertible parked in the left background.

Now here was a two bedroom camper.  A ’60 Chevrolet Apache Custom Cab Fleetside from California with a cabover camper as well as a camper trailer.  The wheels and tires are in the shade which makes it hard to determine whether this was a C15 (1/2 ton) or C25 (3/4 ton), but based on the load it was carrying I am going with the C25.  It was also equipped with the “Trademaster” 283 V8, West Coast mirrors, and two hood ornaments that looked like they were figuring out how hot the hood was.

This one was a U.S. Department of Agriculture vehicle used to transport forest firefighters.  It was a ’64 Chevrolet C30 Panel with added aftermarket side windows, roof vent, and passenger seats.  Chevrolet did not make a one ton, long bodied Suburban, so they converted a panel.  There looks to be at least one other in this row, as well as a regular panel or two.

The well dressed gentleman was conveniently blocking the emblem that would determine the year, so we will have to go with a ’64-’66 Chevrolet C30 Cab and Chassis with a frame mounted camper body.  The truck looks like it had a few years on it, and the man wasn’t dressed for camping.

Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

More Vintage Photos Here