If it weren't for the passion some of us have for cars and trucks made decades ago, it's likely no one would have remembered the name Chevrolet Apache. Slapped on a series of trucks that was previously known as the Task Force, it was only around for four years at the end of the 1950s as a sort of warmup for the mighty family that followed, the C/K.
Like all trucks made ever, the Apache too was intended to be used as a workhorse, but because it was produced at a time when people valued styling, even on pickups, it remains the focus of attention for custom shops and collectors.
There is probably no other Apache truck as famous as the one we have here. It was initially built by Chevy in 1958, one year before the breed was discontinued and the same year when Task Force officially became Apache.
It got an entirely new life back in 2018 when it was restyled, reworked, and repurposed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of automotive industry player and maker of protective solutions for engines STA-BIL.
The car is a joint project between STA-BIL and Hot Rod magazine and was created for the Hot Rod Power Tour.
It only took the team working on the project seven days to get the truck to its current form, and that's because the makeover was performed as part of the Hot Rod's "Week to Wicked" series – the clip showing how the transformation of the truck started can be found below this text.
When it came into the shop was not some rescued Apache in poor condition, but a restored one that in some sense tried to mimic the looks of a Chevrolet, despite being all stock underneath.
The changes made to the thing are extensive, and they include the fitting of a Classic Performance Products (CPP) independent suspension system at the front, a Currie 9-inch rear end, and four-wheel brakes also of CPP make. Under the hood, there is now an LS3 engine, and it works with the help of a Gearstar 4L70E transmission.
The all-red truck beauty comes with all the proper chrome bits and just the right amount of white on its tires. The rubber wraps around a set of steel wheels with bright hubcaps, supporting the cabin and wood bed at the rear.
The interior of the Apache was kept as simple as possible, with tan materials all over, from the dashboard to the bench seat.
I said earlier that this Apache might just well be the most famous out there, and that's not solely owed to it being made for an important company as part of a show. Once complete, the truck also went on to become a star in a number of ads.
It is probably the hope of its current owner that all of that will help it sell for quite the sum when it goes under the Mecum hammer next week in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with no reserve.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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