1951 Chevrolet 1100 Truck

Chevrolet entered the truck market in 1918, the same year the company was sold to General Motors, and started with two models, the half-tonne Light Delivery version of the Model 490 car and one-tonne Model T. The introduction of an OHV six-cylinder engine in 1929 gave Chevrolet the edge over the competition in this market for several years, offering extra load-shifting torque and the new model was lifted to become a 1.5-tonner. During the remainder of the 1930s, advances in safety, thanks to the adoption of hydraulic brakes, and more power kept Chevrolet ahead of the competition, plus an expansion of the range in 1937 to include a Three-Quarter and One-tonne models in addition to the Heavy Truck. These were really the first Pick-Ups in the modern sense, sold with cab bodies for the first time and a variety of trays. When civilian production of trucks resumed after World War Two, Chevrolet and GMC were the first to release an new models, arriving in mid-1947, some six months before their all-new post-war cars hit the market. The early post-war era was typified by the slogan of Advanced Design and the 1951 truck range had a new, more comfortable "double-decker" seat design, in addition to self-energizing Bendix brakes, revised front suspension thanks to a relocated stabilizer bar and the spare tyre was now located beneath the rear tray. Minor changes included reinforcements to the side panels of the pick-up box to prevent heavy loads pushing the sides out and preventing the tail-gate from locking. Austerity measures brought about by the Korean War meant the front grille was painted instead of chromed, while some new accessories were offered, including a windscreen washer, grille guard and a small spotlight that could be operated from the cigar lighter.