Pickup trucks are the best-selling vehicles in the United States. They're popular because they are equally loved by families and folks plying their trade on work sites. But it wasn't always that way.
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The Chevrolet Cameo, such as one recently for sale on eBay, was the first pickup to offer car-like features and style—paving the way for today's comfortable family-oriented trucks.
Creature Comforts
The Cameo was built between 1955 and 1957. Along with Its GMC counterpart, the Suburban, they introduced a pickup design using smooth rear fenders that carried the lines of the cab to the rear bumper. This approach replaced the exposed wheel wells of pickup trucks to that point. Car-like taillights and added chrome complete the stylish look.
The Chevrolet Cameo’s rear fenders were made of fiberglass rather than the steel typically found in a pickup. As a result, GM engineers were concerned about the truck’s structure being weakened. So the Cameo’s fiberglass panels were mounted over the existing rugged fenders and tailgate.
The Cameo came dressed up with two-tone paint, chrome bumpers and trim, and whitewall tires - opens in new window or tab.. Choosing a color was easy the first year. It was only available in Bombay Ivory with red trim. More color choices followed.
The Chevrolet Cameo and GMC Suburban were also among the first pickups packed with creature comforts in the cabin.
Plenty of Power
The Cameo was one of the first Chevrolet pickups with a V-8 engine. It also introduced power steering and brakes to Chevy pickups.
The 1957 Chevrolet Cameo for sale on eBay has a correct 283-cubic-inch V-8 - opens in new window or tab. under the hood. It uses an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor - opens in new window or tab. and dual exhausts. Matched with a modern General Motors TH350 automatic transmission - opens in new window or tab., the truck is said to cruise comfortably at highway speeds.
This beautiful Cameo example was restored many years ago and still looks fresh. The correct green and white paint and original stainless steel and chrome trim show very well. The interior is also in excellent condition, with correct upholstery and carpets.
The list of upgrades includes:
- Air conditioning
Pickup Influencer
The Chevrolet Cameo was a visionary idea but also a gamble for General Motors. This truck with luxury features was more expensive to produce. The Cameo carried a price premium of about 30 percent compared to a conventional Chevy pickup of the era.
Only a few traditional commercial and agricultural buyers were likely to pay the premium for extra style unless it could carry more lumber to a job site or manure to the fields.
While General Motors enjoyed only modest success, with fewer than 9,000 Chevrolet Cameos sold over three years, it changed the definition of pickup truck. By 1960, Ford and Dodge had joined the party with their own stylish and well-equipped, smooth-sided pickups.
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