Chevrolet offered the Task Force series of trucks between 1955 and 1959, the successor to the Advance Design series that debuted after World War II. The 3100-designation applied to 2-wheel drive, while 3600 meant 4WD. By 1958, the smooth-sided Fleetside had joined the ranks and all light-duty trucks would carry the name Apache. This truck is a 50^th Anniversary Gold Edition and looks to be completely original. It will come across the auction block here on Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas, Nevada sometime during June 17-19, 2021. This will be a no reserve event, so there is no telling what it will go for once the gavel comes down. Thanks to eagle-eye Larry D for bringing this piece of 1950s Americana to our attention!

With the Task Force series in 1955 came a wrap-around windshield, which would be a first for production trucks. Other firsts for GM pickups would include available power steering and brakes along with a standard 12-volt electrical system. The 1958 models were instantly identifiable from their predecessors with four headlights instead of two and factory air conditioning was added to the options list for the first time. The series was discontinued after 1959 to be replaced by the C/K line of Chevy and GMC trucks.

Chevrolet would build more than 278,000 trucks in 1958, a down-year for the automotive industry. Excluding sedan delivery and the high-end Cameo, some 269,000 “regular” trucks would be built, which also entail the seller’s Anniversary Gold edition for which no production numbers are available. The exterior and interior are both finished in gold and beige to tie in with that promotion. The body is in great shape and the paint has loads of patina. The chrome, glass, and wood in the bed all look good and the only known rust is a couple of holes in the fender by where the hood closes. Also, there is a questionable area on the chassis.

As the limited story goes, this truck was originally purchased in Denver, Colorado in 1961, but no mention is made of what was going on with it for the three years prior and the 60 years after. The interior shares the same old truck look as the exterior, but you may not want to do a thing to it other than recover the bottom of the bench seat. The Apache is powered by a 283 cubic inch V8 paired to a 3-speed manual transmission and we’re told it runs well. Everything is said to be functioning properly, except for the heater and speedometer, which should be easy fixes. With the deal comes an extra back window, sway bar from a ’57 Chevy van, and a tow hitch.

This truck looks like a vehicle that someone grew to appreciate later in its life, and thus was kept in dry storage when not used. With its patina, this Chevy would be a great show truck just the way it is, after all, they’re only original once. The Task Force trucks seem to be quite popular with collectors and Hagerty estimates top dollar to be $66,000 in Concours condition. But given the originality and longevity of this pickup just the way it sits and because it’s consigned to Barrett-Jackson, this truck could raise the bar on what it takes to own one.