The world famous Chevrolet Cameo and GMC Suburban are known by most early truck enthusiasts. They were created due to US citizens having more disposable income after World War II. Demand for houses, appliances, and vehicles were at times more than some factories could produce in a timely manner. In regards to vehicles, General Motors realized that options (offered by the factory) and accessories (offered by the dealer) were selling well on both cars and pickups. After a slight slowdown during the Korean War years, auto and truck extras were again available and good sellers. GM sales just kept getting better!
To help draw attention to their new soon to be introduced 1955 commercial line, the Task Force trucks, GM would announce a special deluxe ½ ton pickup. It would not be like their well known stepside pickup. The retail price would be almost 25% above the regular ½ ton. Often referred to as a “Boulevard Pickup”, it was too deluxe and expensive for most to be used in its beginning years for just hauling merchandise. It would be seen beside homes in newer suburban neighborhoods that had developed so fast after World War II. Those using a ½ ton for city work or farming were not GM’s targeted buyer on this model.
To sell this truck the best, the sales marketing experts of the Chevrolet Division of General Motors made a smart decision to not introduce them or any new Task Force trucks until Mid-1955. The marketing at the first of the year was totally devoted to advertising their new completely redesigned Chevrolet automobile. Only when these cars had been marketed for about six months did the ads begin again introducing the new trucks that would be in dealerships in mid-year. Thus, the Chevrolet dealers made two large hits in one year to attract new buyers. No doubt, the dealers couldn’t have been happier!
Actually the Chevrolet Cameo and GMC Suburban were a gamble. GM hoped to attract the customer that wanted a truck more for looks than for hauling. These helped draw customers into the showroom and made a statement about the buyer. They cost more but hauled the same cargo. If you looked close these trucks were mechanically the same as the base pickup. The full trim package that could be added to the standard pickup was included. Therefore GM already had most of this trim in stock. It was the redesigned fiberglass bedsides and tailgate that really stopped traffic among the truck enthusiasts. From a distance these special ½ tons looked somewhat like a Fleetside bed that would follow a few years later. The traditional rear stepside fenders were eliminated! Yes, whitewall tires even came on most when new. The extra cost was not only in the cab trim, a more deluxe interior, chrome grille and front bumpers but on the large fiberglass outer bed sides, their attaching parts, a special rear chrome bumper and a different way to store the under bed spare tire and wheel.
A strong advertising campaign in early 1955 often featured the new Cameo’s and Suburban’s as leading the pack of GM’s redesigned trucks. The mid-year introduction of these new task force trucks took off strong. It had been 7 years since GM had changed their truck body style.
1955 Cameo Factory Photo |
1955 Cameo Factory Photo |
Only 5,220 Cameo’s were sold in this half sales year. They were offered only in the combination of Cardinal Red and Bombay Ivory with specialized red and white interior. The GMC Suburban’s were said to have sold about 15% of this number. Not necessarily great by GM standards but a good solid start and it pulled truck buyers into the showroom.
The problem was the sales drop in 1956 even with offering most all truck colors. Only 1,450 Cameo’s found new buyers during a full 12 month year. It appears those wanting this unusual more expensive pickup had bought the year before.
1956 Suburban |
1956 Cameo |
1956 Suburban |
It was obvious GM needed to do something to boost sales for the 1957 year. The Chevrolet Divisions Cameo not GMC, added very attractive bed side trim with a contrasting color between a pair of horizontal stainless strips. It certainly gave it a more updated appearance. Unfortunately, it did little to increase sales. The Cameo sales in 1957 only reached 2244 units!
1957 Cameo |
1957 Suburban |
1957 Cameo |
General Motors, or any company concerned with their bottom line, do not like products that are losing or have no serious future. Thus a decision was made to stop production of these special vehicles in 1957. The new Fleetside pickup with 50% more hauling capacity was scheduled for 1958. Why not offer a very deluxe pickup with most all options on this new Fleetside and replace the Cameo and Suburban? This would cost GM much less but yet the finished product should attract attention like the earlier Cameo and Suburban. They could add horizontal trim to their standard Fleetside bed and not increase the cost like the Cameo bedsides with related spare tire components.
For General Motors this would be a winning decision, however what to do with the near 1,500 Cameo and Suburban beds at the end of 1957? Because of their large fiberglass sides, these complete beds, stored by most assembly plants in different states, had been made and assembled at the Corvette factory in St. Louis, Missouri. Dumping 1500 beds at the end of 1957 into a landfill would be a big financial loss even for General Motors!
1958 Cameo |
1958 Suburban |
1958 Cameo |
To prevent such a loss, it was decided to continue selling the Cameos and Suburban’s until the supply of GM’s completed beds was eliminated. To protect the dealers from overstock of Cameo’s and Suburban’s the introduction of the most deluxe Fleetside pickup that was to have the attractive side trim would be postponed until 1959. The hope was this would keep most dealers from still having 1958 Cameos and Suburban’s in stock when the full trim Fleetside came out in 1959. Of course, this postponing of the full trim Fleetside until 1959 insured the dealer he could buy a remaining Cameo or Suburban and still sell them in 1958 to customers wanting a total deluxe pickup. If a buyer knew about the coming Fleetside pickup, he would probably pass over the 1958 Cameo and wait to purchase the totally new deluxe full trim Fleetside in 1959! Dealers would take a big loss on their remaining 1958 Cameo’s and Suburban’s in stock. It would also be bad public relations for those that had paid the larger price one or two years ago and now see the new 1958 models being dumped at a low price. They would see what they had thought was a Boulevard pickup being bought and worked. It would now become a low price ½ ton.
Note: The GMC “Suburban” was given that name to appeal to those extra income people that were moving to the fast growing suburban areas at the edge of the cities.
This 1959 Deluxe replaced the Cameo
