VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1955 First Series production

Does anybody have a production number for how many 1955 1st Series trucks were built?

I got a call tonight from an old boy in California that is restoring one,and he had been given information about a very low production run, which doesn't sound reasonable to me. I've looked where I usually look for such information and am coming up empty. Thanks!

OK - does anybody have any idea where to look or who to ask?

I have slso checked every thing I know and can't find any numbers.....Try Roger James.

OK, thanks Gene, I will. I thought about Roger, actually, but couldn't remember if his was a 54 or First Series 55. Also have asked my contacts at GM Heritage Center, but nothing back yet.

His truck is an actual 1954 but he has a lot of info.

Already sent him an email, thanks.

Roger is coming up empty, too. Starting to look like nobody has production figures for Advance Design era trucks! Hopefully my boys at GM Heritage will come back with something.

Total production figures for the Advance Design trucks.

No records were kept on the GVW of the trucks produced so,
these total production figures were combined from the 1/2 ton trucks on up to the 2 ton COE trucks.

May 1 1947 - Dec. 31 1947 335,343 units
1948 389,690
1949 383,543
1950 494,573
1951 426,115
1952 387,423
1953 361,833
1954 325,515
1955 first series ?

The literature specifically indicates that no production figures are avail. for the 1955 first series trucks that were only produced for the first 3 months of 1955.

[img]http://img.claspics.com/vcd7kvr/hr2r78c4/1391130560-883.jpg_m.jpg?1391130566[/img]

I was thinking that at one time Tim Lederman had some production numbers info but I am betting it is exactly the same info that MT gave. I too, had always understood that there was no breakdown as far as individual models...only total production numbers per year.

If something else shows up, I would be very interested in it.

MT, feel free to e-mail me the rest of that document. It looks interesting.

It took me awhile to find that info. in my library Greg.
Glad to finally document it somewhere ,than collecting dust around here.

The document I accessed did actually have some additional {yet incomplete} tonnage breakdowns for the 1953 & 1954 trucks only.

1953:
" For GVW ratings up to 5,000 lbs. GVW, the output was 203,242 {which equates mainly to the production of 1/2 ton trucks}.

For trucks in the 5,001 to 10,000 lb. class, production totaled 71,517 trucks { which equates mainly to the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks}.... Together these two GVW classes accounted for 274,759 units.


1954:
170,824 units produced had GVW's of 5,000 lbs. or less.
64,599 units produced had a GVW rating of 5,001 & 10,000 lbs. "


If there is any chance of finding out the actual production numbers for the '55.1 trucks .... it will be somewhere in Tim's library.

Just sent an e-mail to Tim to see if he will weigh in on this one.

I am interested to see if Tim's production figure for 1952 matches what I have, as it appears that there are some conflicting totals for that year.

I only have GM truck production documents from 1950, 1952, and 1953 . There are breakdowns by model for 50 and 53, and breakdowns by series-only in 1952.

Here are total production numbers from a 1984 LCVA article. Those totals do not match the GM numbers. No 1955-1st series number is given.

Note: the GM numbers are for calendar years and the LCVA numbers might be for model "years" (but, the source of those numbers is not given)?

Go on ebay, & get yourself a Branham Automobile Reference Book, for the year, or year, or two after the year you want to look up, & you may be able to break down the production numbers a little more.

Thanks, Spanky,

If you have any Advance-Design year issue of that book, would you please post a photo of the page that contains production breakdown. The few examples of that book that I can find on-line show model numbers, price, shipping weight, IDs and sometimes ID locations, but I no information on production numbers.

Here is a page from: 1955 Branham Auotmobile Reference Book (1949-1955 Car and Truck models) - it is hard to read but shows same information: model numbers, price, shipping weight, IDs and sometimes ID locations, but I no information on production numbers

Here is a page from 1952, 47-52

Those images are not clear because tey are "captures" of eBay images.

I have info. that states "Serial numbers for 1955 first design trucks is a continuation of 1954 numbers."
This is refering to the production sequence part of the number.
Is it possible that the 1954 and 1955 first design production is lumped together?

Is there any way you can post a scanned copy? I know Tim likes the factory info and I for sure do. Thanks!

I see that this tread it old, but has an answer ever been found?