1956 GMC Fleet Option Truck Is a Rare Barn Find, Gets Revived After 50 Years

But the Task Force wasn't General Motors' only pickup offering at the time. The hauler shared the stage with its GMC twin, the Blue Chip. The trucks were obviously similar in appearance, but the GMC had a few extras to brag about. It came with more chrome on the front fascia, large GMC lettering on the nose, and a different dash.

The powertrains were also different. While the Task Force used Chevrolet engines, the Blue Chip was offered with GMC-made inline-six mills and V8 powerplants sourced from Pontiac. While not as popular as its Chevrolet sibling, GMC's equivalent of the Task Force is one cool truck. So whenever I see a Blue Chip saved from a sad life in a barn I get all excited.

It doesn't happen very often, unfortunately, but the folks over at YouTube's "Iron City Garage" recently documented the rescue operation of a 1956 GMC 100. And it's not just any Blue Chip, but a Fleet Option version that's quite rare to find nowadays.

What's a Fleet Option, you ask? Well, as the name suggests, it was a stripped-down workhorse created specifically for fleet operators. A no-frills light-duty truck devoid of all exterior niceties save for the hood emblem and fitted with a basic bumper and a stamped metal grille.

The latter looks so cheap that many people incorrectly assume it's just an inexpensive repair to replace the original unit.

The interior was just as basic, lacking a radio unit, dome light, and headliner. It came with a straight bench seat and gray paint only, while the instrument cluster was a mix of GMC and Chevy parts. There was no V8 option either for these fleet trucks, as all came fitted with the entry-level inline-six.

Yeah, it's one of those trucks that no one really cares about, but the Fleet Option is actually an extremely rare version of the Blue Chip. There are no records as to how many were built, but many claim that fewer than 100 have survived to see 2022.

This 1956 hauler is one of them and it was recently unearthed after 50 years in storage. And it's in surprisingly good condition for a vehicle that's been off the road for so many decades, with a cool patina on top.

And amazingly enough, the guys at the shop managed to get the old six-cylinder running again and took the truck for a drive around the neighborhood. It's not road-worthy yet, but it's a few repairs away from that status.

So what are they planning with this hauler? Well, they actually want to sell it. So if you're in the market for a 1956 GMC 100 that's rarer than the rest of the bunch, they're letting it go for $12,500. Check it out in the video below.