If you keep an eye on the collector market, you already know that truck prices are skyrocketing. America’s workhorses are finally commanding the prices they deserve and they’re only getting started. Great pieces like this multiple award winning 1950 “Advance Design” Chevrolet 3100 offer a blend of classic virtues and drivability that will always be attractive to collectors. After spending most of its life in the sheet metal friendly southwest, the truck underwent a two and a half year frame off restoration. The result is this awesome 3100 that retains its classic charm while adding a touch of vintage hot rod swagger. If you’re looking for that rare mix of “fun to own” and “great investment” this classic Chevrolet may be your answer.

Up front, the familiar chrome grille looks excellent against this trucks bright red exterior. New wide set headlights are complemented by non-original, round amber lights mounted above the pristine front bumper for a well-done look that appears factory correct. The high profile hood features a classic red, chrome and blue Chevrolet emblem that’s in excellent condition up front and great looking “Chevrolet 3100” emblems on each side. The two piece windshield, one of the best features of the design, is divided by a piece of chrome trim and sits above a gold pinstripe which circles the whole cab. Behind the cab, a light oak bed is held together with new stainless skid strips and contrasts well against the red exterior paint. Matching light oak bed rails with stainless hardware and vintage replica Frontier Gas signs provide a great feeling of 50s service station nostalgia. Two gold pinstripes flow from the light oak bed rails down each of the bed posts to disguise one of the only hard edges on the truck. The paint and body work on this truck is better than anything that came out a GM factory in 1950. It’s guaranteed to grab attention anywhere you go, from the drive in to the local cruise night.

One of the great things about the ‘Advance Design’ trucks is their simple but functional detailing throughout. Not decorated to the hilt like most 50s cars, they’re able to show off their curves well and illustrate how good basic design looks fresh even 60 years later. Small flashes of new chrome such as a chrome driver’s side mirror, chrome door handles, chrome windshield wipers and cool contoured passenger side lock cover all serve a purpose and give the red exterior a tailored look. The driver’s side of the truck features a manually controlled body vent, located just behind the front fender that would disappear for the 1951 model year. On the tailgate, an inverse red on black Chevrolet script is very well done and matches the Chevrolet script on the hub caps. A pristine chrome rear bumper complements chrome tailgate chains while trick LED brake lights with chrome surrounds, chrome mounting brackets and chrome loomed wiring provide a finished look. Large domed center caps with matching trim rings are mounted to 16 inch body color wheels that wear Firestone 60.5-16 wide white wall tires. Two gold pinstripes circle the wheels just outside of the chrome hub cap perfectly matching the gold pinstripe on the body. In the back left window you’ll find a Chevrolet Super Service decal and in the back right window is a cool period correct 1953 Southern California Pomona Valley Drag Racing decal.

Equipped with its correct Thriftmaster 216 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine, this 1950 3100 was originally built for hauling and working. Naturally, these trucks weren’t race car quick from the factory but with a little help from the aftermarket they could certainly be a lot of fun. Under hood detailing begins with a fresh coat of satin black paint on the inner fenders that contrasts to the familiar red flowing from the exterior onto the firewall. The Thriftmaster motor is painted bright blue and features two Rochester single-barrel carburetors sitting atop a period correct split Offenhauser manifold. The radiator and engine accessories are painted the same satin black as the engine compartment and blue spark plug wires with red boots create a sense of pop that is complemented by the finned Offenhauser valve cover. The carbs are topped by two chrome air cleaners that add a custom touch to the bay. All belts and hoses look great and the truck even comes equipped with a correct gloss black horn. The hot inline six has a sound all its own and will attract a crown anytime you start it up.

Crawling underneath this 1950 3100 reveals a clean frame with straight sheet metal that’s coated in chassis black. A chrome oil pan serves as the main focal point at the bottom of the blue inline six and visually ties it to the trucks simplistic frame. Correct leaf springs and drum brakes occupy all for corners of this chassis and a correct 3-speed transmission handles shifting duty. Power is put to the ground via a driver friendly Ford 9 inch rear end and a solid axle. A single muffler dual exhaust system with a single inlet and dual outlet muffler runs the whole length of the truck and meets stainless tips that hang under the curved rear bumper. The underside of this 3100 is simple but purposeful. And that’s the beauty of these ‘Advance Design’ Chevrolet trucks in general. They’re easy, clean builds that still possess the unmatched charm and beauty of 50s era Detroit steel.

Step into the fully restored interior and step back into the hot rod culture of the 1950s. Custom red and black seamless door panels follow the pattern of the original panels and include correct chrome window and door handles. A custom upholstered red and black bench seat looks and feels great with “Chevrolet” prominently stitched into the center of the back pad. A custom red headliner covers the roof of the truck and extends down around the rear windows to create a more comfortable, cockpit like feeling that most of these metal cabbed trucks don’t have. The fully restored body colored dash bucks the custom trend of the rest of the interior and is equipped with the trucks timeless, traditional stainless trim and glove box door. On the driver’s side, a speedometer, and a divided gauge with temperature, battery, fuel level and oil pressure sit behind correct black steering wheel that matches the seat and door panels perfectly. In the passenger side of the dash a locking glove box sits above a Chevrolet heater/defroster with its correct factory decal. On the correct black steering wheel a correct silver horn button mimics the stainless trim on the dash and connects the wheel to a body color steering column complete with a chrome turn signal lever and body color gear selector. The custom door panels, headliner and bench seat add luxury to an otherwise utilitarian design and match the red and black theme of this truck perfectly.

Despite looking surprisingly simple, this 1950 Chevrolet 3100 has historical significance, rugged elegance and vintage hot rod swagger that set it apart from most restored and modified trucks. It plays to nostalgia and Americana that everyone can appreciate and it’s a highly drivable truck that feels like vintage hardware. Whether you’re racking up more trophies at shows or just spending a Saturday night out on the town, it’s guaranteed to be the center of attention wherever you go. Call today!