By the mid-1950s, the post-World-War Two boom was under way, and customers were looking for style and performance even in pickup trucks. In mid-1955, Chevrolet introduced the all-new Task Force trucks, which shared design language with the 1955 Bel Air and offered the new small-block Chevy V8 as an option. This photo (below) of a pre-production model 3100 half-ton pickup, taken at the GM Tech Center, shows the clean, functional styling that continues to be appreciated almost six decades after its introduction.

Also new to the 1955 truck line was the Cameo Carrier (above), a high-styled gentleman's pickup more at home in a trendy suburban California bungalow driveway than on a farm or in a factory yard. The Cameo Carrier was only produced through the 1958 model year (below), but its car-like styling and appointments clearly set the stage for new generations of well-equipped personal-use pickups, including the El Camino, Avalanche, and Silverado crew cab.