GMC Pickup History

General Motors Company has been producing high quality, rugged pickup trucks for over 100 years. GMC is a division of General Motors, Inc. Even though competing automotive manufacturers had been producing pickups since the 1918, GMC entered the consumer market after World War II, shifting its production of military vehicles to consumer vehicles and capturing significant market share.

GM History

General Motors Company (GMC) produced its first truck in 1904, and the official GMC logo didn't make an appearance on vehicles until 1912. General Motors became one of the fastest-growing automobile manufacturers within a few short years, and served the U.S. military through both World Wars to provide cargo trucks, searchlight trucks and troop carriers. The company shifted gears to the consumer market shortly after World War II, producing a line of GMC "dream trucks" that included the Suburban pickup, Handi Van and the famous Wideside pickup truck.

Models

The GMC pickup trucks have been available in several models and styles including the C and K Series that include the Sierra, Sierra Grande, High Sierra and Sierra Classic trim lines; the GMC Suburban Pickup; the GMC Caballero; the GMC Canyon; the GMC Sonoma; the GMC Sprint; Silverado and the GMC Syclone.

1955-1978

The 1955 GMC Suburban Pickup was a combination car and truck--a fully functional pickup that was initially designed to create interest in the pickup concept and lure customers into the showroom. This truck only had a single-season production run of 300 units.

The first round of GMC pickup trucks designed to sell in the consumer market was introduced in 1962 with the C/K Series. GMC trucks were either Wideside or Fireside models, and these were offered in both two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions. The K Series signified a four-wheel drive, while the C signified a two-wheel drive. By 1973, General Motors redesigned its fullsize pickups with a distinctive body design, longer wheelbases and the option of a four-door model (Crew Cab). Trim and minor changes were implemented in 1975. It wasn't until 1978 that the next major change took place; during this year, the C10 pickup was available with a V8 diesel engine.

After 1979

Pickup trucks produced between 1981 and 1987 were made with lightweight materials and featured V8 engines with Electronic Spark Control. A throttle-body fuel injection (TBI) was introduced in 1987. In 1988, GM's fullsize pickup trucks underwent a major redesign with a sportier look, cleaner lines, and the addition of cloth seating, carpeting and extra insulation. These soon became the best-selling vehicles by General Motors, and sales remained steady for the following decade.

The Vortec engine was introduced in 1996, and passenger-side front airbags were added in 1997. 1999 saw another complete redesign of the full size pickup, and the trucks were cleaner, had larger engines, and offered more horsepower.

Cabin improvements and additional safety features were added to the 2007 redesign of the GM Silverado and Sierra models, and the Chevy Silverado received a few more minor changes in 2008.

Key Features

GMC pickup trucks are easily-recognized by their "broad-shouldered" appearance, sporty body style and long bed design. Each model boasted several trim levels, and GM increased horsepower and improved fuel-efficiency with each new model and style. Key features of GMC pickup trucks include powerful V6 or V8 engines; galvanized steel for exterior body panels; electronic spark control; halogen lights (select models); bright grill trim; swing-out quarter windows on extended cabs; automatic transmission option for heavy-duty trucks and an easy-entry front seatback on extended cab models.

Future

Due to the economic crises of 2009, General Motors was forced to reduce ouput of all its vehicles and shut down several North American plants. This put several vehicle launch schedules on hold, and there has been no formal announcement of any new concept pickup trucks being produced after 2009. GMC is focusing its efforts in the luxury SUV market and the production of minivans.