It’s impossible to locate the exact point where American pickups began to morph into fashionable people movers, but one recognizable signpost is the Chevrolet Cameo Carrier.

When the Second-Series Chevrolet trucks apppeared in March of 1955, they were the brand’s most modern-looking commercial vehicles in years. These rigs, marketed as the Task Force trucks, featured car-like styling by the prolific GM designer Chuck Jordan with hooded headlamps, wraparound windshield, and Italianate grille. (Jordan was also responsible for the 1955 GMC L’Universelle Motorama show truck we featured here.)

Meanwhile: From his earliest renderings while developing the Task Force line, Jordan had faired the pickup box into the cab to create one flowing body line. It was a striking feature, though unfortunately it was deemed not quite ready for the entire pickup line. But the sleek look lit a spark with division executives, and they gave the go-ahead to a specially equipped, deluxe edition of the 3100 series pickup called the Cameo Carrier.

The illustrations above show what a dramatic departure the Cameo was from the standard pickup with its old-fashioned cargo box. Jordan originally proposed an integrated cab and box structure, but the body engineers determined that it transmitted excessive twist into the cab. The Cameo’s rear quarters and tailgate cover were actually fiberglass pieces supplied by the Moulded Fiberglass Co. of Ashtabula, Ohio, the same outfit that did the Corvette, that fit over a standard steel box. Another novel Cameo feature was the spare tire carrier concealed behind a dropout rear bumper section.

For 1955, Cameos were offered in just one color combination: Bombay White with Commercial Red trim. Standard equipment included a bright chrome grille and bumpers and somewhat ritzier cabin appointments, including carpeting. More colors were added in 1956, and in 1958 all the Task Force pickups, Cameo included, received trendy quad headlamps.  GMC also offered its own parallel version of the Cameo called the Suburban Carrier, although it was produced in fewer numbers. And in 1957-59, Dodge jumped on the bandwagon with its similary themed Sweptside pickup, complete with Forward Look tailfins.

Cameo sales were fairly respectable in 1955 at a little more than 5200 units, but in 1958 the number plummeted, and it’s easy to spot the reason. That same year, Chevrolet introduced the Apache Fleetside pickup, which sported the same smooth styling but with all-steel construction. The metamorphosis of trucks into cars was under way. Today, the typical American family’s primary vehicle is likely to be a pickup, but with four doors and all the style and luxury features of a sedan. One small step in that evolution was the Chevy Cameo Carrier.