[Closed] PICS....1:1....Thursday

Rare. GMC's version of the Chevy Cameo.

Another great looking truck.

Thanks, never knew about this one.

Yes, and the V8 GMC trucks of that era had Pontiac engines.

Pete....I've had the Palomino truck pics for a while. I saved the write-up on this particular truck.

1957 GMC PALOMINO PICKUP
This is a one of a kind truck that GMC made for shows and was owned by Clyde W. Horst The information below was written by Mr. Horst and is several years old. Mr. Horst no longer owns the truck and the current owner has the truck in his private collection and does not want to be contacted. At least the truck still exists maybe it will show up at a show someday.

I purchased this truck on July 20 1979 from Mr. Charles H. Stolze of Falls Church, Virginia about eight months after an ad appeared in Hemmings Motor News. According to Mr. Stolz, his grandfather, Mr. C.L. Hanna of Wheeling, West Virginia, purchased the truck new from Scibright Cadillac/GMC in Wheeling, West Virginia. Mr. Stolze acquired the truck when his grandfather an upholsterer died. Also, he says his grandfather purchased a new Cadillac each year from Scibright Cadillac from 1908 through 1957.

When I first purchased the truck, I called telephone information for Scibright Cadillac in Wheeling, West Virginia but there was no such listing. A service sticker found on the truck indicated the truck was serviced with 8,290 miles on the odometer bv Robinson Cadillac/Oldsmobile, Inc., Wheeling West Virginia. Through a telephone call to Robinson Cadillac, Oldsmobile. Inc., I learned that they were the successor to Scibright Cadillac, but Scibright GMC Truck Agency was a separate business from Scibright Cadillac Agency and was sold to someone else and subsequently went out of business. Robinson Cadillac/ Oldsmobile, Inc. had no knowledge of the 1957 GMC Palomino Pickup.

However, due to my persistence in trying to get information, they finally referred me to a Mr. George Reese, now retired, but formerly Scibright GMC Parts Manager. I located Mr. Reese and he recalled the truck very well. He was extremely pleasant and happy to share information with me.

Mr. Bruce Scibright, owner of Scibright GMC Truck Agency, purchased the truck from General Motors after a big truck show in Chicago. The truck was painted gold and cream when Mr. Seibright purchased it from GM. He purchased it specifically for Mr. Hanna who had seen the truck at the show and wanted it very badly. Normally, GM does not sell any of their show vehicles but since Mr. Hanna had purchased so many new Cadillacs from Seibright Cadillac, Seibright put enough pressure on GM to sell the vehicle so they in turn could sell it to Mr. Hanna.

When I purchased the truck, it had approximately 8.800 miles on the odometer. It currently has just over 9,000 miles on the odometer. All of the chrome on the truck is original. We did repaint the gold portion of the truck since Mr. Hanna had added Cadillac name plates all over the truck and when we removed them and repaired the holes, we were unable to fill in the gold metallic paint. We did discover written on the under side of the seat the following; "57 GMC Truck Chicago Show, Paint S080020." We also found in back of the door panels: "paint S080620." We assume the "SO" stands for special order. The colors of the truck were not standard colors for GMC for '57.

Some very special features of this one-of-a-kind show truck are as follows:
* Painted metallic gold and cream.
* Two-tone leather interior, including seats, door panels, arm rests, and leather covered steering wheel. Even a portion of the floor is covered with leather coming up over the door sill and under the floor mat.
* Gold colored rubber floor mat.
* Pontiac V8 engine with aluminum valve covers and hydramatic transmission.
* Power steering.
* The steps inside the door are covered with a rubber mat. The vertical riser between the step and the floor inside the doors is covered with a ribbed aluminum material.
*There is a special ribbed aluminum trim piece fitted over the front top portion of each of the fiberglass side fenders with a name plate with the "Palomino" name in gold.
* The truck has U.S. Royal Master l5x8.3 with 1-3/16 inch white sidewall. These were custom tires that were made by U.S. Royal for GM show vehicles in 1957. You will recall that in 1957 production vehicles still used wide white Tires. The tires on the truck are like new including the spare tire which has ever been used.

In response to a letter I forwarded to General Motors after I purchased the truck to try and authenticate it, I received the following note dated November 2, 1979:

Dear Clyde
I serve as our unofficial GMC historian as a 'labor of love'. After passing through several hands, your letter came to my attention only yesterday. I personally remember subject truck, a real 'gem' of a vehicle! A photograph was taken of this truck while it was on display. I will locate this picture and send it to you.

The letter was signed Thos. VanDegrift, Engineering Printing, GMC Truck & Coach, Pontiac, Michigan 48053. Unfortunately apparently Mr. VanDegrift was not able to locate the picture because I never received it. But his letter does clearly authenticate the show truck, The truck has received the following AACA awards First Junior, Senior Award, and Preservation Award. It is one well-preserved beauty.
-Clyde W. Horst

1957 GMC PALOMINO PICKUP
This is a one of a kind truck that GMC made for shows and was owned by Clyde W. Horst. Mr. Horst no longer owns the truck and the current owner has the truck in his private collection and does not want to be contacted. At least the truck still exists maybe it will show up at a show someday.
Some very special features of this one-of-a-kind show truck are as follows:
* Painted metallic gold and cream.
* Two-tone leather interior, including seats, door panels, arm rests, and leather covered steering wheel. Even a portion of the floor is covered with leather coming up over the door sill and under the floor mat.
* Gold colored rubber floor mat.
* Pontiac V8 engine with aluminum valve covers and hydramatic transmission.
* Power steering.
* The steps inside the door are covered with a rubber mat. The vertical riser between the step and the floor inside the doors is covered with a ribbed aluminum material.
*There is a special ribbed aluminum trim piece fitted over the front top portion of each of the fiberglass side fenders with a name plate with the "Palomino" name in gold.
* The truck has U.S. Royal Master 15x8.3 with 1-3/16 inch white sidewall. These were custom tires that were made by U.S. Royal for GM show vehicles in 1957. You will recall that in 1957 production vehicles still used wide white Tires. The tires on the truck are like new including the spare tire which has ever been used.

I dont see a brake or clutch pedal ?

Walter...Look real close to the gas pedal.

You will see a curved arm going into the floor.

Beautiful truck, Larry. But I'm not clear about some of the responses -- did GMC market a production Palomino as a companion to the Chevrolet Cameo? Or was this a one-off auto show truck only?

Lawrence it was a GM show truck. See my post #27820.3.1.

Thanks, I didn't read down far enough. Interesting story.

(Pic) Larry, here's an official photograph from my Dad's files of the GMC

Palomino show truck at, I believe, the 1957 Chicago Auto Show at the Chicago Amphitheatre. GMC was one of my Dad's clients for nearly 35 years between 1955 or so and 1990. I still have a number of the greenish interlocking rubber-mat flooring pieces from beneath that exhibit area and likely that exact truck.
photo no longer available

Thanks Mike. It could be that very truck. It's much prettier in your pic.

I would love to see the Palomino in 1:24 or 1:18 but I doubt that will happen. You must have been to at lot of shows with your Dad back then.

Larry, thanks for posting. This looks like a fun ride.

Oh boy, I'd also love to see something like the Palomino in 1/24 or 1/18.

Yep, I was definitely at many, many shows with my Dad and I sure treasure those times !