The 50’s marked a big evolution in pickup trucks. Take the Chevy trucks as an example. The 1950 pickup was utilitarian with its two piece windsheild and drab colors. In the early 50’s you didn’t drive a pickup truck as a fashion statement. You had it because you hauled things. It was unlikely for a pickup truck to be the family vehicle. First a pickup with standard transmission (floor shift) would only hold two people. Second, in the 50’s, before government safety and emissions regulatiions, people could afford to have two vehicles. Styling was basic, maybe even ugly, but looking back after 60 years it looks honest and sturdy. On our farm, growing up in the 50’s we had a 1950 Chevy truck.
There was some evolution in styling for the first half of the decade. The two-piece windshiled become a one piece but the basic shape doesn’t change. Then in 1955, the GM styling revolution that started in 1954 caught the Chevy pickup. The 1955 Chevy sported a wrap around windshield with more spriightly slyling, even two color paint as an option. The utilitarian shape of the body turned sculptural with the hooded headlamps and the countours or the fenders. In addition Chevy introduced their first sporty truck – the Cameo Carrier with sleek fiberglass side panels. Minor changes on the body through 1959 included a bulked up grill and dual headlights, By 1959, the Cameo Carrier is replaced with the fleetside – a more mainstream Fleetside with different tail lights and sculptured sidepanels.
1959 marked the introduction of the El Camino, a sporty personal truck based on the passenger cars. Chevy was responding to the earlier Ford 
Ranchero. These car based trucks continue up to the present day
That 1950 truck – the blue one – could it have come with a longer bed? My dad had one very similar when we were growing up. And almost the same color, too. But I remember the bed being longer – this was back when your kids could ride in the bed and not get in trouble for child endangerment. I loved that truck, and know my dad did too. He had to be heartbroken when he sold it and bought a Datsun pickup. 🙁
Paula,
The way I remember there was a 1/2 and 3/4 ton version so there would have been two bed lengths. Ours was green. I don’t have an actual picture of our truck but I think it had the shorter bed.