Though fleetside pickups are the common style today, they certainly had a unique appearance in the late 1950's. Until then, the stepside body style with outside rear fenders was the norm. With smaller horsepower from available engines, the limited hauling capacity in the stepside box was well matched to the existing power plants.
If the customer required a pickup with more hauling volume, the stepside was simply made longer. To compensate for the extra gross weight, the manufacturer lowered the differential gearing. Thus the small engines continued to serve well but the result was a slower highway speed.
With the introduction of the Chevrolet high oil pressure 235 six and 265 small block V-8 engine, power was now available to allow for a radical new bed change. Pickup bed dimensions would be increased side to side in addition to length. Extra hauling capacity on the same wheelbase could be now handled by the additional horsepower. With the same wheelbase, an approximately 50% increase in bed capacity was created with GM's new fleetside.
Both Chevrolet and GMC introduced the same fleetside in 1958. It came in both six and eight foot lengths on the 1/2 ton chassis. The eight foot box could also be ordered on the 3/4 ton frame. (If you needed a 1 ton pickup the prior long stepbed model still remained the only choice.) No doubt, these new fleetsides created much notoriety in a world of stepside pickups. To draw even more attention GM placed chrome die cast "Fleetside" lettered emblems toward the rear of each bed side.
This first GM fleetside box style was offered only two years until a redesigned side was introduced in 1960. The early bed 1958-1959 sides can be easily recognized due to their long 5" wide horizontal spear stamped in the middle. These terminate at a unique round rear taillight which is also special to just this bedside.
1959
The featured early fleetside for this article is a 1959 Chevrolet short bed. Its owner is Olen Moore of Odessa, Missouri. He recently completed a three year ground up restoration to exact factory specifications. Olen even used the correct Galway Green, a very popular color during that era. Notice the stamped side spears and upper rear fleetside chrome emblems.
The first year top of the line deluxe fleetside pickup carried all the cab trim that was on the soon to be discontinued 1958 Cameo. Even the cloth covered door panels and matching seat cushions were the same. Just a totally different cloth material was used.
The introduction of the very attractive bed side trim was reserved for 1959. It was only available one year! (1960 offered much different bed sides and trim on their fleetside) The Cameo was discontinued in mid 1958. This gave the Chevrolet dealers about six months to sell their stock of remaining Cameos.
Adding the very deluxe stainless horizontal trim on the 1958 fleetside might cause dealers to dump their Cameos because of the sudden introduction and interest in a fully appointed new fleetside for about the same price.
This would be an insult to owners that had purchased their high priced Cameo in the last three years.
Many would never forgive GM from dumping 1958 Cameos at a low price. They might later become an owner of another brand of pickup.
