The Car Corral

Nick Gemma’s 1951 Chevy 3100

By Rolando Zapata
Posted 7/2/20

I recently had a chance to speak with Nick Gemma, a retired Coca Cola Company associate. Nick’s Gem is his 1951 Chevrolet 3100 pickup. Nick told me that he is only the fourth owner of the …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in
The Car Corral

Nick Gemma’s 1951 Chevy 3100

Posted

I recently had a chance to speak with Nick Gemma, a retired Coca Cola Company associate. Nick’s Gem is his 1951 Chevrolet 3100 pickup. Nick told me that he is only the fourth owner of the pickup, which originally hails from South Dakota. He advised that the truck spent it’s time in South Dakota as a farm vehicle and because of that farm life, the pickup only has 54,000 original miles. Nick told me that after its farm life it spent years in front of a brewery as a display vehicle. Nick told me that he always had a love of these types of pickups because as a child he remembers his dad who owned City Service Gas Station on Bridge Street in the City of Newburgh always working on cars and trucks.
Nick purchased his pickup in 2015 from the previous owner in Connecticut. Since then, he rebuilt the suspension and exhaust system. He did some work to the engine and had the pickup repainted. The pickup sports its original 216 cubic inch 6-cylinder Loadmaster engine with 92 horsepower. It has its original 4 speed transmission. 1951 was the first year the chevy pickup came with side vent windows or Ventapane as it was called. It also has a pop-up vent in front of the cab for added ventilation. The color of the pick-up is called Transport Blue. Nick’s nickname for his Chevy pickup is “Little Blue Truck”.
Nick enjoys supporting local car clubs and their charity events. He enjoys meeting people and talking about cars at car shows and cruise nights. Nick advised me that his first car was a 1963 Chevy Impala. His dream car is a 1963 Corvette Coupe. Nick’s owns another classic car, a 1978 Corvette Pace Car.
I asked Nick what his best and worst moments with his pickup was. He told me that his best moment with his pickup was after restoring it and taking it out for its first ride. Nick said that his worst moment was at a car show when the pickup would not start. He loves cruising to the sounds of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. His favorite persons to cruise with are his girlfriend JoAnne and his grandson Preston.

What was happening in 1951:

The popular television show “I Love Lucy” premieres on CBS, Harry S. Truman is the 33rd President of the United States, the first color TV pictures broadcast from Empire State Building, The US Constitution is amended to limit presidents to two terms, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg receive the death penalty for having conspired to commit espionage, The North Koreans have moved from Bloody Ridge to what will become known as Heartbreak Ridge, “Too Young” is the top song in the U.S., Quo Vadis starring Robert Taylor was the top grossing movie in the U.S.