1959 Chevrolet Apache Stepside
The 1959 Apache marks the final year of Chevrolet’s Task Force truck series, a run that began mid-1955 and introduced several key advances for Chevy pickups, including the wraparound windshield (a light‑duty truck industry first), 12-volt electrical systems, and the first factory‑installed V-8 offered in a Chevy pickup.
By 1959, changes were modest (a larger, more ornate hood emblem and revised fender badging being the most visible), though the model year holds a notable distinction as the last in which buyers could factory-order the NAPCO “Powr-Pak” four-wheel-drive conversion.
The Stepside bed, with its exposed rear fenders and external running step flanking the cargo box, was the traditional pickup configuration of the period.
Chevrolet had introduced the flush-sided Fleetside in 1958, and the two styles ran alongside each other, with the Stepside offering a narrower but more characterful alternative.
Standard power came from the 235 ci Thriftmaster inline-six, with Chevrolet’s 283 ci small-block V-8 available for buyers wanting more output. Transmission choices included a three-speed column-shift manual (with or without overdrive), a four-speed manual, or the Hydra-Matic automatic.
Total Chevrolet truck production across all series for 1959 came to roughly 350,000 units.
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