The Advance-Design is a light and medium duty truck series by Chevrolet, their first major redesign after WWII. Its GMC counterpart was the GMC New Design. It was billed as a larger, stronger, and sleeker design in comparison to the earlier AK Series. First available on Saturday, June 28, 1947, these trucks were sold with various minor changes over the years[3] until March 25, 1955, when the Task Force Series trucks replaced the Advance-Design model.
The same basic design family was used for all of its trucks including the Suburban, panel trucks, canopy express, and cab overs.
From 1947 until 1955, Chevrolet trucks were number one in sales in the United States, with rebranded versions sold at GMC locations.[4]
While General Motors used this front end sheet metal, and to a slightly lesser extent the cab, on all of its trucks except for the cab overs, there are three main sizes of this truck: the half-, three-quarter-, and full-ton capacities in short and long wheelbase.
Differences edit
1947 - Gasoline tank filler neck on passenger side of bed. No vent windows in doors. Hood side emblems read "Chevrolet" with "Thriftmaster" or "Loadmaster" underneath. Serial numbers: EP 1⁄2 ton, ER 3⁄4 ton, & ES 1 ton.[5] Radios were first available in Chevrolet trucks as an "in dash" option on the "Advance-Design" body style.[6]
1948 - Manual transmission shifter now mounted on column instead of floor. Serial numbers codes: FP 1⁄2 ton, FR 3⁄4 ton, & FS 1 ton.
Early 1949 - Gasoline tank now mounted upright behind seat in cab; filler neck aft of passenger door handle. New serial number codes: GP 1⁄2 ton, GR 3⁄4 ton, & GS 1 ton.
Late 1949 - Hood side emblems no longer read "Thriftmaster" or "Loadmaster", but are now numbers that designate cargo capacity: 3100 on 1⁄2 ton, 3600 on 3⁄4 ton, 3800 on 1 ton. Serial number codes remain the same as on early 1949.
1950 - Telescopic shock absorbers replace lever-action type. Last year for driver's side cowl vent, its handle is now flat steel, not maroon knob as in previous years. New serial number codes: HP 1⁄2 ton, HR 3⁄4 ton, & HS 1 ton.
1951 - Doors now have vent windows. Mid-year change from 9-board bed to 8 boards per bed. Last year for 80 mph speedometer, chrome window handle knobs, and chrome wiper knob. New serial number codes: JP 1⁄2 ton, JR 3⁄4 ton, & JS 1 ton.
1952 - Outer door handles are now push button type as opposed to the previous turn down style. Speedometer now reads 90 mph instead of 80 and dashboard trim is color-matched instead of chrome. Mid-year, Chevrolet no longer uses the 3100-6400 designation on the hood and changes to maroon window and wiper knobs. New serial number codes: KP 1⁄2 ton, KR 3⁄4 ton, & KS 1 ton.
1953 - Last year for the 216 in3 inline-six. Hood side emblems now only read 3100, 3600, 3800, 4400, or 6400 in large print. Door post ID plate now blue with silver letters (previous models used black with silver letters). Last year to use wooden blocks as bed supports. New serial number codes: H 1⁄2 ton, J 3⁄4 ton, & L 1 ton.
1954 - Only year for significant design changes. Windshield now curved one-piece glass without center vertical dividing strip. Revised steering wheel. Revised dashboard. Cargo bed rails, previously angled, now horizontal. Tail lights round instead of rectangular. Grille changed from five horizontal slats to crossbar design commonly referred to as a "bull nose" grille, similar to modern Dodge truck grilles. New engines are now 235-cubic inch straight-6 and 261-cubic inch straight-6. Serial number codes unchanged from 1953. Hydramatic automatic transmission is available for the first time as a paid for option.
1955 First Series - Similar to the 1954 model year, except redesigned hood-side emblems and modern open driveshaft in place of enclosed torque tube. Serial number codes unchanged from 1953 and 1954.
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1948 Chevrolet Thriftmaster pickup truck -
1951 Chevrolet Advance Design -
1954 Chevrolet 3100 -
1954 GMC 100 -
1951 Chevrolet 3100 panel van -
Chevrolet 3100 panel van with after-market wheels and tires -
1949 Chevrolet Suburban
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Variants edit
Utility vehicles edit
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The Advance Design trucks formed the basis of the third-generation Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Carryall. Competing against the International Travelall and the Dodge Town Panel/Town Wagon, the Suburban was available in both passenger, and panel truck/canopy express configurations. It was notable for being the last Suburban to feature a canopy express body style.
While marketed solely as a two-door utility wagon, the Suburban was offered in 1⁄2-ton 3100 and a 1-ton 3800 options. 3⁄4-ton 3600 passenger Suburbans were not available, although the panel truck/canopy express body style was offered up to the 3800 1-ton version.
Medium & Heavy duty edit
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Chevrolet and GMC continued to offer medium-duty versions of their Advance Design and New Design trucks. Until the Task Force era however, heavy-duty trucks were exclusively the domain of GMC.
While designed with straight frame rails and heavier-duty chassis components, these medium/heavy-duty trucks shared a common cab design with the Advance Design pickup trucks. Both conventional and COE models were offered. The cab overs used the same basic cab configuration and similar grille but used a shorter and taller hood and different fenders. The unique cab over fenders and hood required a custom cowl area which makes the cab over engine cabs and normal truck cabs incompatible with one another while all truck cabs of all weights interchange.
One interesting variant of these models was the "HC" (standing for "Heavy Conventional") heavy-duty truck. This version was only available as a GMC, and earned the nickname "fat cab", due to it's cab design. These trucks used the same cab design as the pick-ups, but utilized a longer hood. A cab-over version was also available, the "HF", which ended up being popularly nicknamed "Cannonball", after a TV series featuring it. Both of these models were available with a range of GM and Detroit Diesel engines. These trucks started being produced in 1949, and were facelifted in 1957/58 to become the "R series", using the front clip of the newer GMC Blue Chip. They were built until 1962.[7]
Export production edit
The Chevrolet Advance Design was mainly available in the US and Canada, but there were also several exports to a number of other countries in various numbers, such as Australia, New Zealand, Cuba, and even Sweden and Finland. Since 1957, the truck started being produced locally in Brazil by General Motors do Brazil, and was initially presented as the "6500 Series". Although the truck was basically a version of the 1947 US model, it used the front end of the more modern Chevrolet Task Force, but significantly revised because of warmer climate. Within a year after the release of the first truck, General Motors do Brazil presented an updated version. The new 6500 series trucks received the front end in a style of the US Chevrolets of 1954. 6.5-ton trucks were equipped with a reliable and unpretentious 4.2 liter engine rated at 142 hp and 4-speed manual gearbox. The nickname of Series 6500 trucks was "Marta Rocha" in honor of Miss Brazil.[8][9]
Apart from the main 6500 model, there appears to be at least 1 other version of the truck available, the "3100". An updated version of the synonymous US model, it also had a panel truck/carryall variant, the "Corisco" and "Amazona".
In 1963, the company updated the 6500 model again. The main difference is a new front end design with twin headlamps in the style of American Chevrolet Viking of 1958. This version was produced just a year, and in 1964 replaced by a totally new truck range.[10]
In Europe, the Advance Design would help heavily inspire the styling of the post-war 1950s Opel Blitz[11][12] and also Bedford's TA truck range, however, there is almost no mechanical commonality between these models and the American Advance Design.[13]
Styling legacy edit
During the retro-craze of the 2000s, the style of the Advance Design was used for the 2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR roadster pickup[14] and later for the 2006-2011 Chevrolet HHR crossover SUV.[15]
References edit
- ^ "Directory Index: GM Trucks and Vans/1948 Trucks and Vans/1948 Chevrolet Trucks Brochure". Oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ a b Gunnell, John A. (1993). Standard Catalog of American Light-Duty Trucks. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-238-9.
- ^ "Find the Chevy pickup part for your truck and have it shipped within 3 days at ClassicParts.com". www.classicparts.com. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Bunn, Don. "Segment Five: 1947-1954 Advanced Design Pickups". Pickuptruck.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2007.
- ^ "What Year is My Truck?". Classicparts.com. Retrieved February 3, 2008.
- ^ "Introduction to A-D factoids". 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2015.
- ^ "1957 – 1959 GMC 800 Series: The Worst Truck Facelift Ever?". Curbside Classic. Paul Niedermeyer. December 7, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Chevrolet » Series 6500 '57". Trucks Planet. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Chevrolet » Series 6500 '58". Trucks Planet. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Chevrolet » Series 6500 '63". Trucks Planet. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "Cohort Pic(k) of the Day: 1952-1959 Opel Blitz – The Chevy Advance Design Arrives In Germany A Bit Late". Curbside Classic. Paul Niedermeyer. August 28, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ "Here are the Model Car Hall of Fame's Diecast, Kit, and Slot Car of the Year for 2021". Model Car Hall. October 15, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ "Curbside Classic: 1970 Bedford TJ – Advanced Past Its Prime". Curbside Classic. Rich Baron. June 3, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ "Learn The Chevrolet SSR's Strange Story". Motorious. Steven Symes. January 30, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ "2009 Chevrolet HHR Review: Chevrolet's 1940s Suburban Throwback". Green Car Reports. Jonathan McGrew. July 1, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
External links edit
