IS IT TRUE

[327pup]

I HEARD THE OTHER DAY THAT ONLY 500 551ST.SERIES TRUCKS WERE BUILT.WOULD THAT BE A TRUE FACT? PUP

 

[Nifty 50]

No. I do not know the actual production numbers, but I have seen enough 55 1sts in just the northwest to know that there are more than 500 in the whole world. Also the reason why they were produced into 55 was due to the high demand for chevy trucks during that period. GM did not want to stop production while they retooled for the 55-59 task force series. The 55 1st's are rare, but not that rare.
Steve O.

 

[Robert]

The 1954 trucks were carried over for part of the 1955 model year, as the new, redesigned 1955 trucks weren't quite ready. These early versions are know as the first series. Essentially the same truck as the 1954 model, it came with a Bombay Ivory painted grille with Onyx Black Chevrolet lettering. The bow-tie emblem was striped in white rather than red. The hoodside emblems were a differnet design, with Chevrolet lettering beneath the numerical designation. Mechanically, the biggest change was the use of an open Hotchkiss drive shaft rather than the previous enclosed torque tube type.

On March 25, 1955, the Advanced Design era ended as the new Task Force trucks were introduced.

(from the Chevrolet Pickup Red Book)

I would guess that there would be more then 500 of the 1st series trucks manufactured due to the fact that in 1954 Chevrolet was putting out about 25'000 trucks per month.

 

[327pup]

THANKS FOR THE INFO,I THOUGHT THAT SOUNDED FISHY.PUP

 

[78subgeorge]

My friend's 1st series '55 was in the family for about 30 years.
It had a one-piece windshield.
I always assumed that the '54 & earlier had split windshields.