Chevy Advance Series
source: wikimedia
If the Power Wagon was the ugly workhorse of the 40’s and 50’s, Chevy’s Advance Design light-duty trucks were the more refined family and farm trucks of the day. Rolled out in 1947, the Advance Design radically updated what a pickup was supposed to look like: Big swooping rear fender wells, even longer and more elegantly curved front fenders, enclosed headlights, a very noir polished front grille, a long, robust hood, and tucked sidesteps made the 3000 Series a visual masterpiece in a market that previously focused on mere utility. Today, these trucks are highly sought after for their classic hot rod profile and you’re more likely to spy one with candy paint and polished mags than you are to see one with patina and its original, no-frills features.
source: flickr
That’s not to say the Advance Series trucks weren’t extremely rugged. GM took many of the engine and drivetrain components from their wartime machines and shoved them into this much more aesthetic pickup. The 3100 ½-ton, 3600 ¾-ton, 3800 1-ton, Loadmaster, and Thriftmaster models available in the Advance Series were so reliable, they made Chevy the #1 seller of pickup trucks between 1947 and 1955. Available motors included straight-6s pumping out 216, 235, or 261 cubic inches. These legendary motors are recognized by their “blue flame” paint and they packed some robust mechanics: four-bearing crankshafts, connecting rod oil injectors, wear-adjustable rod bearings, and most notably, overhead valves. A robust three- or four-speed transmission helped get power to the wheels.
While most truck makers were still rolling out flathead motors, the Chevy overhead motor was cranking out impressive horsepower numbers with redundancy systems that ensured they ran more reliably, with more power, for much longer than any other motors available on the market at the time. The Advance Series’ all-welded cab, steel bodies, beefy frame rails and large axles make these pickup trucks just as reliable and tough as they are pleasing to watch rolling by.
