Vehicle Description
1953 Chevrolet 3800 Humpback One of Six Made - 22,334 Actual Miles
- All Ownership History - 216.5ci/92hp Inline 6 Cylinder - Fully
Restored - Featured in Vintage Truck Magazine, August 2020 - Super
Rare and Super Cool (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this
vehicle on a website other than our main website, it's possible
that only some of our many photographs of this car are presented
due to website limitations. To be sure you access all the
photographs, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)
Chevrolet's Advance Design Trucks offered a new curvy design and a
wide range of options from the familiar 3100 Series to Cab Over
Trucks and School Buses. This truck was obviously built for the
purpose of hauling, although the actual history of this vintage
Chevrolet has a few small spots that are unclear. The Humpback as
it sits today is a very nice vehicle that holds a lot of history.
Being only one of six known to have been built with the Humpback
modification, this is a rare vehicle which is something that
vintage truck, vintage Chevrolet, and automotive history buffs will
find extremely interesting. The photos don't really show this
vehicle's massive size. We all know the size of an early-50's
Chevrolet 3100 pickup, but this 3800 is much bigger. Add the
Humpback conversion to the usual 3800 offering and the height of
the truck is dramatically higher. A look at the wheelbase, and the
cargo area helps give the size away. One thing that is unclear is
whether or not the Humpback conversion was completed at GM's
Baltimore, Maryland assembly plant when the truck was built. Our
client was able to trace back a considerable amount of history
about the truck, what it was used for, and past owners. In 1953
Keithan Bakery and Confectionary, a supplier of baked goods, penny
candies, cigarettes, and cigars was the first owner of this unique
Humpback. The next two owners between the years of 1960 to 1970
were Sunbury Hose Company, and Sunbury Steam Fire Engine Company.
The next 3 owners were a route salesman, a gentleman who traded the
truck for a Porsche 924, and a Porsche enthusiast who thought he
may use the Humpback as a pit truck for his racing team. Back to
the truck itself, it is finished in Juniper Green and Bombay Ivory
which is a 1955 GM color. The color combination looks great and the
body condition is very good. Our client believes that the truck has
been painted 3 times, and he notes that the rear fenders were
replaced at some point. The standard 3800 truck's sign panel area
sits slightly higher on the truck thanks to the molding for the
Humpback conversion. Other notable features of the exterior are
Juniper Green painted bumpers and grille, a sun visor over the
windshield, running boards, outward opening rear doors, and small
rear windows. The dashboard should look familiar to those who have
taken a good look at the smaller and more mainstream 3100 pickups.
The dashboard has been painted the same Juniper Green as seen on
the exterior and features a pair of gauges which are centered in
front of the driver. Brown seats at the front of the vehicle have
been reupholstered, along with the door panels which match the
seats. The cargo area is pretty spartan and features the original
wood floor which was refinished with a number of coats of Linseed
oil. The metal skid strips were refinished in Juniper Green. The
difference in the factory height of the truck compared to Humpback
conversion can easily be seen in our photos. A Thriftmaster
Inline-6 engine mated to a 4 speed manual powers this big vehicle.
The engine bay is tidy as well as the underside. A small amount of
overspray on the frame is visible on the otherwise very clean
underbody. Solid floor panels, frame, running board supports, and a
full size spare tire are other highlights of the underside. This
big truck is a piece of history, and a rare one at that. A
Chevrolet Advance Design truck with a rare
