Chevy · 1947-1955
Advance Design Series
Chevrolet's first major post-war truck redesign, the Advance-Design series ran from mid-1947 to early 1955 and was America's best-selling truck line for its entire run. Its horizontal-bar grille, wider cab and optional radio set the template for the modern pickup. It is a full-size heritage truck rather than a compact.
- Years
- 1947-1955
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Engines
- 216 Thriftmaster · 235 Thriftmaster · 261 Jobmaster
- Sold in
- US · Canada · Export
Spec sheet
- Production
- 1947–1955
- Assembly
- Flint, MI (Flint Truck Assembly)
- Baltimore, MD
- Janesville, WI
- Atlanta, GA (Lakewood)
- Kansas City, MO (Leeds)
- Norwood, OH
- Oakland, CA
- St. Louis, MO
- North Tarrytown, NY
- Van Nuys, CA
- Sold in
- US
- Canada
- Export
- Codes
- 3100 (1/2-ton)
- 3600 (3/4-ton)
- 3800 (1-ton)
- Serial prefixes by year: EP/ER/ES (1947), FP/FR/FS (1948), GP/GR/GS (1949), HP/HR/HS (1950)
- Body styles
- Pickup
- Panel truck
- Canopy express
- Suburban (station wagon)
- Cab-over
- Bed lengths
- 3104 half-ton box: 78.12 in long x 50 in wide inside (116 in WB)
- Short and long wheelbase (116 in, 125.25 in, 137 in wheelbases)
- Drivetrains
- RWD
- Transmissions
- 3-speed manual
- 4-speed manual
- 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic (1954-1955)
- Trims
- 3100 half-ton
- 3600 three-quarter-ton
- 3800 one-ton
- Thriftmaster / Loadmaster hood badges (1947–early 1949)
- Wheelbase
- 116 / 125.25 / 137 in
- Length
- 191.31 in
- Curb weight
- 3,286–5,530 lb (1,491–2,508 kg) across series; 3104 half-ton pickup 3,255 lb curb (factory estimate, 1955 First Series)
- Payload
- 1,500 lb body and payload (3104 half-ton pickup at 4,800 lb maximum GVW, 1955 First Series)
Engines
| Engine | Disp. | Config | HP | Torque | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 Thriftmaster | 3.5 L (216 cu in) | I6 | 1947-1953 | |||
| 235 Thriftmaster | 3.9 L (235 cu in) | I6 | 112 | 200 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm | 1954-1955 | 235.5 cu in; 112 hp @ 3,700 rpm gross (1955 First Series 3100 specifications) |
| 261 Jobmaster | 4.3 L (261 cu in) | I6 | 1954-1955 |
Related
Overview
The Advance-Design series went on sale on June 28, 1947 and was billed as larger, stronger and sleeker than the AK Series it replaced. One body family covered half-, three-quarter- and one-ton pickups as well as panel trucks, canopy expresses, Suburbans and the cab-over models, which shared a cab but used unique fenders and hood.
Through the run Chevrolet kept refining it: floor shift gave way to a column shifter in 1948, the gas tank moved into the cab in 1949, numeric 3100/3600/3800 badges replaced "Thriftmaster/Loadmaster" in late 1949, and telescopic shocks arrived in 1950. 1954 was the one year of major change, with a one-piece curved windshield, horizontal bed rails and a "bull nose" crossbar grille, and the 235/261 six-cylinders plus Hydra-Matic automatic became available.
The Task Force series took over on March 25, 1955. Chevrolet outsold every other truck maker in the US from 1947 to 1955, and GMC sold a near-identical version as the New Design.
Note: Advance-Design was a full-size truck line (Wikipedia); it is listed here as the starting point of Chevrolet's post-war light-truck lineage.
Trims, Bodies and Drivetrains
Trims
- 3100 half-ton
- 3600 three-quarter-ton
- 3800 one-ton
- Thriftmaster / Loadmaster hood badges (1947–early 1949)
Cab and bed
- Body styles: Pickup, Panel truck, Canopy express, Suburban (station wagon), Cab-over
- Beds: 3104 half-ton box: 78.12 in long x 50 in wide inside (116 in WB), Short and long wheelbase (116 in, 125.25 in, 137 in wheelbases)
Drivetrain and transmissions
- Drivetrains: RWD
- 3-speed manual
- 4-speed manual
- 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic (1954-1955)
Highlights
- Chevrolet's first major post-WWII redesign, first available June 28 1947
- Optional in-dash radio introduced on Advance-Design body (1947)
- Column-mounted shifter from 1948
- Telescopic shock absorbers replaced lever-action shocks in 1950
- 1954: one-piece curved windshield, horizontal bed rails, round tail lights, "bull nose" crossbar grille
- Number-one US truck sales 1947-1955