Six-Cylinder Engines

• In 1952 Chevrolet was putting six-cylinder engines in all of its pickup trucks. The V-8 would not arrive on the scene until 1955. In 1952 Chevy truck buyers had to settle for a 216 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine rated at 90 horsepower. By today's standard this is a small six, especially in such a large body, but the 216 seems to have held up well. This engine also came with a three- or four-speed transmission.
  
  

Body

• The 1952 Chevy pickups had bench seats, a roomier cab and a solid frame. They were rated as half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks and were given a numerical series, such as the 3100 series for the half-ton and the 3600 for the three-quarter-ton. The half and three-quarter trucks came with a standard three-speed manual transmission, but a four-speed was an option. Meanwhile the one-ton, 3800 series had just the four-speed option.
  
  

Popular

• During the entire Advanced Series run, Chevy was the number-one selling pickup truck in the U.S. Overall, Chevy trucks changed little from 1948 through 1953, but the new six-cylinder engines in 1954 and the arrival of the V-8 in 1955 opened a new era for Chevy trucks.