Profiles of Vintage Cars & Trucks: The Chevy Cameo Carrier
n the year 1955, the United States had just entered its economic Golden Age in which manufacturing flourished and the American middle class prospered. With that prosperity came an eagerness for new luxury products and new vehicle options. Auto manufacturers like Chevrolet listened to the market's new demand for more refined vehicles and the result was the release of the then-groundbreaking Cameo Carrier.
Profiles of Vintage Cars & Trucks: The Birth of the Chevy Cameo Carrier
The Chevy Cameo Carrier was the brainchild of General Motors designer Chuck Jordan. Jordan took design cues from the contemporary Task Force 1500 pickup truck and added to it stylish and elegant sedan accents. In sketches, he submitted to his superiors, he kept the pickup truck body style but added intricate chrome tail lights, a sculpted rear bumper, car-styled hubcaps, whitewall tires, and an interior outfitted for comfort. GM approved the design for production but only for a limited production and with marketing directed towards affluent suburban households.
This resulted in a model that was priced 30% more than the 1500 pickup truck and a production run of just 5,220. Interestingly, however, this would be the best selling version of the model despite Chevy continuing to add more options in the following years. Today, a 1955 Chevy Cameo Carrier that's been properly restored can fetch upwards of six figures.
Custom 1958 Cameo Pickup
We have been building this gorgeous 1958 Cameo Pickup that we've done extensive work on. Its been one of our favorite vintage cars and trucks project thanks to its unique appearance and our ability to give it a very customized appearance.
For this special in-house vintage cars project, our team at Customs & Hot Rods of Andice swapped out the chassis and re-built the engine compartment, putting in a brawnier 427 block Chevy. Our team also completed a lot of bodywork, with custom metalwork and lowering the truck's complete stance.
The 1958 Cameo is, in fact, one of the rarest of Cameos with only a production run of 1,405 completed in only a few of the company's factories rather than the full six the other year models were produced across. So few of the 1958 Cameos were manufactured that there weren't even enough to send out to all of the dealerships. So, if you are a collector in search of rare vintage cars and trucks for your next restoration project, then this is a model that holds its value well due to that small production run.
Need Help Selecting Your Next Vintage Car Project? Contact CHRA
Our restoration and customization team at CHRA has won so many accolades thanks both to our experience and our passion for vintage cars and trucks. So if you need help deciding what vintage car or truck to buy and what direction to go with it, then our team is always here to lend some helpful advice! Contact us today.