Chevrolet Task Force

The Chevrolet Task Force (or in some cases, Task-Force) is a light-duty (3100-short bed & 3200-long bed) and medium-duty (3600) truck series by Chevrolet introduced in 1955, its first major redesign since 1947. Known as the Blue Chip in the parallel GMC it had more modern design than the preceding Advance Design without sacrificing ruggedness or durability.

First available on March 25, 1955, these trucks were sold with various minor changes over the years from 1955 (2nd series) until 1957. Model years 1955 and 1956 had the “egg crate grill”. 1955 had the emblems below the lateral line of the front fender, whereas in 1956, the emblem was located above the lateral line and the hood emblem was a bit higher on the hood. In 1957, the grill changed to a more open design and the hood was given "spears" resembling the Bel Air.

In 1958 the series was renamed “Apache”, found on fender emblems, given a second set of headlights, and received other minor changes. The model continued with minor changes through 1959.

In 1960 the truck was replaced by the new C/K Series, but this retained the Apache name for some years.

GM redesigned their truck line for the second half of 1955, but sold both designs that year; the previous design became known as the 1st Series, and the all-new design as the 2nd Series 1955. Commercial trucks and various other heavy duty models were also available. Chevrolet and GMC named their new series independently.

The trucks were differentiated by running gear and interiors; Chevrolet used Chevrolet engines, and GMC used GMC inline-sixes and Pontiac V8s (Oldsmobile V8s for heavy-duty trucks).

For the first time in GM history, trucks were available with optional power steering, power brakes, and V8s. A column-shifted 3-speed manual transmission was standard, with an optional floor-shift 4-speed manual or Hydramatic automatic. The electrical system got an upgrade to 12 volts.

The new body featured the truck industry's first wrap-around windshield, and an optional wrap-around rear window for Deluxe cab models. Headlights became integrated into the fenders. The cab is taller in size, and in-cab steps replaced the running boards of previous models. A "step" between the cab and rear fender aided access to items inside the pickup bed. Redesigned bed fenders were carried through the next generation body that ended in 1966.