End of the Task Force: A 1959 Chevrolet Apache Suburban Heads to Market

Chevrolet’s Task Force era of trucks wrapped up in 1959, and among the final examples of that generation was the Apache Suburban Carryall — a three-row hauler that blended family duty with working-truck toughness. A surviving 1959 example is now listed for sale in Oxnard, California, carrying an asking price of $26,500 on Craigslist, finished in a two-tone turquoise and white color scheme with red steel wheels and whitewall tires.

The 1959 model year stands apart from what followed, since Chevrolet redesigned its light trucks for 1960. The final Task Force front end carries a wide grille, four headlights, and twin chrome spears running along the hood, a combination that gives these trucks a distinct identity among collectors. Buyers that year could choose Chevrolet’s 235.5-cubic-inch Thriftmaster inline-six, rated at 135 horsepower, or step up to an optional 283-cubic-inch Trademaster V8 producing 160 horsepower. This particular Suburban has been fitted with a 261-cubic-inch six paired with a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission.

According to the seller, the truck has received a rebuilt rear end, fresh brakes with new wheel cylinders and brake lines, a new starter, new tires and a copper radiator. The two front seats have been reupholstered. The heater and defroster are said to function, along with the interior and exterior lighting, turn signals and spotlight. The seller describes the Suburban as running well enough to drive anywhere, though the paint and bumpers show their age and would benefit from cosmetic attention.

There is a noteworthy footnote to Chevrolet’s truck history from this era: Northwestern Auto Parts Company, known as NAPCO, engineered a Powr-Pak conversion that turned two-wheel-drive Chevrolet and GMC trucks into four-wheel-drive machines. From 1957, Chevrolet offered that setup as a factory-order option through its dealers — a detail often cited by enthusiasts even when a particular truck, like this one, remains two-wheel-drive.

This Suburban was designed to move people and cargo, and it retains three rows of seating along with the traditional split rear barn doors; Chevrolet also offered a tailgate-and-liftgate configuration. That practical layout, combined with the truck’s honest, driver-grade condition, makes it a candidate either for a light cosmetic refresh or for simply being enjoyed as-is. At $26,500, it sits in a price range that has drawn debate among old-truck fans, who note that well-preserved Suburbans of this vintage are far rarer than the panel deliveries that once dominated the roads.