The History of Chevy Trucks

Chevrolet was a very young automobile company when it began producing pickup trucks in 1918. It had joined General Motors the same year and Chevrolet co-founder Willy Durant wanted a pickup to compete against the popular Ford Model TT truck. It seems that since then Chevrolet has been chasing Ford in light-duty truck sales, but has carved out a solid number two spot in sales for most of the 20th century.

The Beginning

Chevrolet introduced its debut truck as the Series 490, with the number indicating the sales price of the truck. It was sold only as a chassis and cowl and was built on a passenger car platform. Its instrument panel and gauge cluster, along with the steering wheel and gear shift lever, were lifted from the passenger car as well.

Advance Design

The Chevrolet pickup didn't come into its own as an innovator in truck design until after World War II when it introduced its 1947 models during Chevrolet's "advance design" period. Until 1955, it held the rare spot against Ford as the best-selling truck in North America. Few changes were made in the sleek body style through 1955, although in 1954 it received a 235-cubic-inch straight-six engine and automatic transmission.

C/K Series

Chevrolet's most venerable line of trucks was launched in 1960 with the C/K series. It remained until 1998 when replaced by the Silverado. The C/K trucks dropped many of the early postwar stylings, including lowering the truck's frame to allow the cab to sit lower. It had independent front suspension to give it a passenger-car feel.

Timeless Styling

The most popular C/K series trucks are the 1967 to 72 models that featured understated, if not plain, styling that remains contemporary today. It's the first line of Chevy trucks marketed as a second family car with coil spring rear suspension for a smoother ride with an optional 283 cubic-inch V-8.

Silverado

Much to the disappointment of C/K Series diehards, the Silverado replaced the older line in 1998 with its twin brother, the GMC Sierra, but has since proved itself as a worthy successor due to its many option packages and towing power. In 2003, Chevrolet offered the Super Sport, or "SS," package that offered high-performance options. In 2005, it launched its hybrid versions that has since sold more than 100,000 units.

Avalanche

The somewhat controversial Avalanche began production in 2001 using the same chassis as the Suburban and Cadillac Escalade EXT. It features a removable rear window and a folding bench hidden under a panel in the bed to accommodate additional passengers. Yet its heavy use of plastic cladding didn't sit well with purists and has hampered sales.

Compact Pickups

In recent years the sales of compact pickups have stalled due primarily to the fact that gas mileage for the Chevrolet S-10 pickup is not much better than the full-size pickup. But the S-10, the sibling of the Chevy Luv introduced in 1972, has a faithful following as the junior Silverado.

Resources

• More Chevrolet pickup history