The Original High Country: The 1955-1959 Chevrolet Cameo Truck
There was once a time not so long ago when trucks were built for one thing only: to work as hard as possible. At Chevrolet, that changed in 1955, with the introduction of the stylish Chevy Cameo truck.
Building on the revolutionary styling of Chevy's redesigned 1955 "Task Force" light-duty pickup, the Chevy Cameo truck literally helped create the idea of a luxury truck that could be stylish and still work hard too - a spirit that continues today in tricked-out Chevys like the Silverado High Country.
Cameo truck origins
The idea for the Cameo pickup came from GM designer Chuck Jordan in 1954. Tired of seeing trucks only as bare-bones workhorses, Jordan decided to give the humble Chevy a real glow-up in a series of sketches.
Building on the modern style of the all-new Task Force models, Jordan's drawings showed the latest Chevy truck design in more refined trim, including car-style hubcaps, wide whitewall tires, a two-tone paint scheme, and a smooth-sided pickup bed that continued the sleek lines of the cab.
Finishing out the one-of-a-kind look were chrome-trimmed tail lights and a rear bumper recalling that of the new 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Eager to reach well-off buyers who needed a truck but wanted something more stylish than the standard hauler, GM execs quickly approved Jordan's design for limited production.
Rather than stamping steel bedsides for the Cameo pickup, GM decided to make the components out of fiberglass. A relatively new technology in the 1950s, Chevy had been using the material since 1953 to mold bodies for the first-generation Corvette.
Made in Ohio by GM supplier Molded Fiber Glass, Inc., the Cameo truck's sleek bed sides and other fiberglass parts were built in the same factory as early 'Vettes. The bed sides were then shipped to Chevrolet for installation on a standard steel stepside truck bed with the outer fenders removed.
Chevy Cameo's unique styling details
At the rear of each fiberglass fender, Chevrolet attached chrome tail-lights left over from production of the 1954 Chevy Bel Air, while the hubcaps on the Cameo were borrowed from the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
As in Jordan's original drawings, each Chevy Cameo truck featured whitewall tires, a deluxe full-width back glass cab with the rear pillars painted red. Bringing up the rear was a chrome bumper with a flip-down compartment in the center to hide the spare tire.
All first-year Cameo pickups were painted Bombay Ivory with the rear cab pillars, interior details and the inside of the bed painted a striking red.
The interior of the Chevy Cameo was as refined as the outside, with every available option. That included carpeting, a two-tone red and white dash and upholstery, and a push button radio.
For horsepower, buyers of the Chevy Cameo could choose from the thrifty 235 straight six with a "three-on-the-tree" manual transmission, or the then-new Chevy small block V8, backed by a Hydramatic automatic transmission.
Though the 1955 Cameo truck featured a premium price - $435 over the $1,400 base price of a Chevy truck - the design was a hit, with over 5,000 purchased the first year.
End of the Cameo -- and a rebirth
Sadly, 1955 would be the high water mark for sales of the Chevy Cameo truck. Though Chevrolet continued to offer the Cameo truck through the 1959 model year, similar "luxury truck" designs from other makers diluted the appeal of the unique styling of the Chevy Cameo and sales dropped throughout its run.
So how many Cameo trucks were made?
In total, around 10,000 Cameo pickups were produced between 1955 and the package's cancellation when the Task Force cab design was retired after 1959.
Chevrolet briefly reintroduced the Cameo name as a package for the S10 compact truck in the early 1990s. Called the S10 Cameo, the limited edition trucks featured a fiberglass ground effects kit, special tailgate lettering identifying it as an S10 Cameo, special front and rear bumpers and other unique touches.
In all, only 2,198 S10 Cameo models were built, making it even rarer than the original Cameo truck!
As for the Chevy Cameo trucks from the 1950s, their rarity and beauty has made them popular with collectors. Low-mileage and restored examples often top $100,000 at auction thanks to buyers who want to own the "factory custom" pickup that started it all.
Want to own your own piece of Chevy truck history? Then stop in soon at McLarty Daniel Chevrolet and check out the beautiful Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD or Chevy Colorado today!
Building on the revolutionary styling of Chevy's redesigned 1955 "Task Force" light-duty pickup, the Chevy Cameo truck literally helped create the idea of a luxury truck that could be stylish and still work hard too - a spirit that continues today in tricked-out Chevys like the Silverado High Country.
Cameo truck origins
The idea for the Cameo pickup came from GM designer Chuck Jordan in 1954. Tired of seeing trucks only as bare-bones workhorses, Jordan decided to give the humble Chevy a real glow-up in a series of sketches.
Building on the modern style of the all-new Task Force models, Jordan's drawings showed the latest Chevy truck design in more refined trim, including car-style hubcaps, wide whitewall tires, a two-tone paint scheme, and a smooth-sided pickup bed that continued the sleek lines of the cab.
Finishing out the one-of-a-kind look were chrome-trimmed tail lights and a rear bumper recalling that of the new 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Eager to reach well-off buyers who needed a truck but wanted something more stylish than the standard hauler, GM execs quickly approved Jordan's design for limited production.
Rather than stamping steel bedsides for the Cameo pickup, GM decided to make the components out of fiberglass. A relatively new technology in the 1950s, Chevy had been using the material since 1953 to mold bodies for the first-generation Corvette.
Made in Ohio by GM supplier Molded Fiber Glass, Inc., the Cameo truck's sleek bed sides and other fiberglass parts were built in the same factory as early 'Vettes. The bed sides were then shipped to Chevrolet for installation on a standard steel stepside truck bed with the outer fenders removed.
Chevy Cameo's unique styling details
At the rear of each fiberglass fender, Chevrolet attached chrome tail-lights left over from production of the 1954 Chevy Bel Air, while the hubcaps on the Cameo were borrowed from the 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
As in Jordan's original drawings, each Chevy Cameo truck featured whitewall tires, a deluxe full-width back glass cab with the rear pillars painted red. Bringing up the rear was a chrome bumper with a flip-down compartment in the center to hide the spare tire.
All first-year Cameo pickups were painted Bombay Ivory with the rear cab pillars, interior details and the inside of the bed painted a striking red.
The interior of the Chevy Cameo was as refined as the outside, with every available option. That included carpeting, a two-tone red and white dash and upholstery, and a push button radio.
For horsepower, buyers of the Chevy Cameo could choose from the thrifty 235 straight six with a "three-on-the-tree" manual transmission, or the then-new Chevy small block V8, backed by a Hydramatic automatic transmission.
Though the 1955 Cameo truck featured a premium price - $435 over the $1,400 base price of a Chevy truck - the design was a hit, with over 5,000 purchased the first year.
End of the Cameo -- and a rebirth
Sadly, 1955 would be the high water mark for sales of the Chevy Cameo truck. Though Chevrolet continued to offer the Cameo truck through the 1959 model year, similar "luxury truck" designs from other makers diluted the appeal of the unique styling of the Chevy Cameo and sales dropped throughout its run.
So how many Cameo trucks were made?
In total, around 10,000 Cameo pickups were produced between 1955 and the package's cancellation when the Task Force cab design was retired after 1959.
Chevrolet briefly reintroduced the Cameo name as a package for the S10 compact truck in the early 1990s. Called the S10 Cameo, the limited edition trucks featured a fiberglass ground effects kit, special tailgate lettering identifying it as an S10 Cameo, special front and rear bumpers and other unique touches.
In all, only 2,198 S10 Cameo models were built, making it even rarer than the original Cameo truck!
As for the Chevy Cameo trucks from the 1950s, their rarity and beauty has made them popular with collectors. Low-mileage and restored examples often top $100,000 at auction thanks to buyers who want to own the "factory custom" pickup that started it all.
Want to own your own piece of Chevy truck history? Then stop in soon at McLarty Daniel Chevrolet and check out the beautiful Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Silverado HD or Chevy Colorado today!