1947–1955Collector's Guide

Chevrolet 3100

The "Advance Design" pickup — rounded fenders and a face that defines the classic American truck look.

The 3100 was the half-ton model in Chevrolet's first fully redesigned postwar truck line, known collectively as "Advance Design." Its rounded fenders, five-bar horizontal grille, and wide, low-set headlights gave it an instantly recognizable look that remains one of the most popular vintage-truck restoration and hot-rod platforms today.

History

Introduced in 1947 as Chevrolet's first all-new postwar truck design, the Advance Design line replaced the prewar-based AK Series. The 3100 (half-ton) sat below the 3600 (3/4-ton) and 3800 (1-ton) in the lineup, sharing the same basic cab and styling.

A one-piece curved windshield replaced the earlier two-piece flat design starting in 1954, and a wraparound rear window became optional the same year — both changes are commonly used to help date a truck when records are incomplete. Production continued through 1955's "first series" before the all-new Task Force generation replaced it.

Notable Versions

1954–55 One-Piece Windshield

The final "first series" trucks with the curved one-piece windshield and optional wraparound rear glass — the most refined and often most desirable Advance Design years.

5-Window Cab

A rear-quarter-window cab option offering better visibility, more desirable to collectors than the standard 3-window cab.

What to Look for When Buying

Key inspection points from experienced collectors.

Wood bed floors need close inspection

Original bed floors were wood strips over steel crossmembers; rot and rusted-through crossmembers underneath are common and not always visible from above.

Cab corners, rockers, and floor pans rust extensively

These trucks are 70+ years old and were rarely garaged as work vehicles — budget for sheet metal work on most unrestored examples.

Many are LS-swapped or otherwise modified

The 3100 is a hugely popular resto-mod platform; confirm whether you're buying an original driveline or a modernized build, since this significantly affects value and market.

Verify the cab and bed are numbers-correct for the year

Cabs, beds, and grilles were shared and swapped across the 1947–55 run — a mixed-year truck is common and not necessarily a problem, but affects originality-focused value.