The 355-cubic inch crate engine makes this ’50s Chevrolet pickup far more powerful than the original engine.
Who isn’t fascinated by gorgeous antique Chevrolet show trucks that outperform model pickups? We spotted this 1956 Cameo on Classic Cars and think it is perfect.
In 1955, Chevrolet introduced its first luxury-minded truck, the Cameo. Following on the success of the plush, stylish Chevy cars of the early 1950s, the automaker developed the Cameo with similar interior niceties and exterior lines. Roughly 10,000 Cameo pickups were made from 1955 through 1958, with more than 5,000 of them being built that first year and only 1,452 being built for 1956, making this truck as rare as it was beautiful.
While the luxurious interior of the cabin of the Chevrolet Cameo pickups got the majority of the attention from buyers, the most unique feature was the body. Unlike other trucks of that era, the skin of the Cameo was mostly fiberglass, allowing the designers to add new levels of sculpting to the fenders, bedsides and tailgate. However, to allow this fiberglass-laden pickup to do “truck stuff”, the inner portions of the bed were lined with metal rather than more fiberglass.
Luxury Meets Performance
While the 1956 Chevrolet Cameo was designed to be a luxury truck, the owner of this antique Chevy pickup went the high-performance route when restoring this metallic blue machine.
Under the hood is a 355-cubic inch crate engine sending 310 horsepower through the TH350 transmission to the rear wheels. A Ford Mustang II front suspension assembly has been added with 11-inch disc brakes, a power brake boosted and a power rack-and-pinion steering setup, allowing this antique pickup to handle as well as it accelerates – and it likely accelerates just as great as it looks.
Finally, the cabin of this truck has been infused with even more luxury, including air condition, a stainless steel steering column and a leather-wrapped bench seat.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
