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1918 One-Ton

The first production truck from Chevrolet was inspired by vehicles used in plants to move parts and pieces from place to place. In the simplest terms, this is an example of form follows function. It was a rolling chassis featuring an open cab, an inline four-cylinder engine and an open frame allowing customers to install the body that fit their unique needs. One striking design element is the beautiful badge, which was clearly a designed element of this truck. The font, the proportions and the dark blue, almost black color make a very sophisticated bowtie, even by today's standards.

1918 One-Ton model, which featured a 2.8L four-cylinder engine with an estimated 45 lb-ft of torque. Its closest contemporary engine is the standard 2.5L four-cylinder engine in the Colorado, which is rated at 191 lb-ft of torque, or 76 lb-ft per liter — a 480 percent increase over the 1918 engine.

1929 International Series LD

1929

The First "Stovebolt" Six. Introduced in 1929, Chevrolet's first overhead-valve inline-six engine brought big torque to the masses. Displacing 194 cubic inches (3.2L), its all-new design helped generate strong torque at low rpm: approximately 120 lb-ft at only 800 rpm. That allowed Chevrolet to increase its work-truck load rating from 1 ton to 1.5 tons. The Stovebolt nickname was based on external fasteners that resembled the bolts on wood-burning stoves, but it quickly became synonymous with the engine's durability. Several generations of Chevrolet's overhead-valve straight-six engine were developed from the original design and served in Chevy Trucks through the late 1980s.

1929 International Series LD: The 1929 was the first Chevrolet truck to feature a closed cab, which created the potential for what we know as interior design today. As with all designs, once the functional elements were defined, more comfort- and style-focused features started to become important for truck buyers. It's amazing how fast they went from the purpose-built 1918 truck to a more styled, closed-cab truck. This is also the time when we started to introduce color. The color combinations on Chevrolet cars and trucks from this period are something I still love today.

1938 Half-Ton

This was the first truck designed in the newly formed Art and Colour department, which was later to be known as Design Center, by Harley Earl and his team. (Earl became GM's first design chief.) This year also saw the designs of cars and trucks deviate, as Design realized the need for trucks to have their own identity. As such, it is arguably the first example of Design's influence on trucks. The proportions really evolved from the earlier designs, creating a lower and longer truck with a styled grille and elegant, swept fenders.

1947 3100 Series

This is one of the most iconic designs in automotive history. If you mention a vintage Chevy truck, I think almost everyone will picture this model in their mind. It was such a departure, advertisers coined the phrase "Advance Design," because it was bigger, stronger and sleeker than ever before. The five-bar horizontal grille is a departure from vertical grilles of the past and was the very beginning of what became a signature of Chevrolet truck design. You can see that the fenders are more integrated and the lamps are on the wide part of the vehicle instead of inboard, giving it a wider, stronger presence. The result is very handsome design with great proportions.

In 1947, The Gas tank filler neck was on passenger side of bed. No vent windows in doors. Hood side emblems read "Chevrolet" with "Thriftmaster" or "Loadmaster" under it. 1948 had Manual transmission shifter now mounted on column instead of floor. Early 1949, The Gas tank now mounted upright behind seat in cab; filler neck aft of passenger door handle. Late 1949, The Hood side emblems no longer read "Thriftmaster" or "Loadmaster", but are now numbers that designate cargo capacity: 3100 on 1/2 ton, 3600 on 3/4 ton, 3800 on 1 ton.

1948 Chevrolet Pick-Up

Trucks (in the small commercial vehicle sense) and vans are as big a part of the Chevrolet story as its cars. And the 1948 range was one of the most significant series the company produced. Arriving in summer 1947, they were the first GM automobile products to have a completely post-war design, making them among the most up-to-date vehicles anywhere. Not a bad claim to fame for something meant to be utilitarian and hard-working! The mainstay of the range was the versatile and practical half-ton pick-up, which saw service all around the world. "You just have to smile when you look at one," is Ed's opinion of the friendly looking load-lugger. "It's a real workhorse of a truck. The shape was just beautiful, but it still did its job well. It was clean, basic and affordable."

1949 Chevrolet Canopy Express

1949 Chevrolet Camión 4400

 

1955 Chevrolet Cameo Carrier

The mid-1955 introduction of Chevrolet's Cameo Carrier pickup truck helped pave the way for the El Camino. Although it was a model variant of Chevrolet's light-duty pickup, the Cameo offered an array of car-like features that included passenger-car styling, fiberglass rear fenders, two-tone paint, a relatively luxurious interior, as well as an optional V8 engine, automatic transmission, and power assists

1955 3124 Series Cameo Carrier: Known as the Task Force truck, the Cameo Carrier is Chevy's first Fleetside design. The bed surface is flush with the cab and fender, making for one complete, elegant shape from front to back. It was also Chevrolet's first bumper-to-bumper styled truck, as styling didn't stop at the back of the cab. During this time, styling became a selling point for cars, inspiring more focus on design for trucks as well. This was definitely the heyday of American automotive styling and ornamentation.

1955: The First Small Block V-8. Chevrolet introduced its revolutionary overhead-valve V-8 engine, later to be dubbed the Small Block, in the 1955 "second series" truck lineup. That original 265-cubic-inch (4.3L) engine produced 238 lb-ft of torque at only 2,000 rpm and evolved into one of the industry's most enduring engine architectures. About a decade after the Small Block was introduced, Chevy's Big Block engine family — also an overhead-valve design —debuted, elevating capability to an unprecedented level for gas-powered trucks. The Small Block is currently in its fifth generation in 2018 Chevy Trucks, while the original Small Block and Big Block families live on as performance crate engines.

1967 Chevrolet Pick-Up

Big, brusque and purposeful, Chevrolet's new generation of pick-up trucks for 1967 were tough machines designed to get the job done. Powerful and practical, with no-nonsense styling, they were marketed as general transportation as well as work vehicles, something that extended their appeal and profile into the mass market. "It's a very iconic American design," believes Ed. "You see that pick-up, and you also see a guy with blue jeans and a toolbox in the back! Many of the words I've used to describe the earlier pick-up also relate here."

1967 C10 Fleetside: This is the first truck that I really fell in love with. It's a beautiful, sleek design with a hint of wheel flare. I also really appreciate the line that flows away from the top of the bed line and the beautiful balance with the front of the vehicle. This is a feature that can easily go wrong, but the designers of the time did it so right. The body side has a strong shoulder that tapers toward the rear. The Chevrolet bar on the front fascia connects the headlamp center with the bowtie — a design element that is still consistent today. This time period is also when metallic paint was introduced, which highlighted the subtleties and body lines that weren't as obvious before.

The 1967 Chevy trucks led truck design into a new era. Leaner and cleaner in every line, the new models appeared lower and longer – somehow managing to look both car-like and rugged at the same time. Their large, rounded wheelhouses added a design touch evocative of several popular GM cars of the era. The '67s were more durable than ever, and were to their core tough machines designed first of all to get the job done. Many features of the new pickup – and the Suburban that shared its styling – were designed to appeal to the still relatively small, but growing, number of customers seeking comfortable and capable trucks for recreational use or personal transportation.

1971 Chevrolet C/10 Cheyenne Pickup

The trend had been building for years and in 1971, it became impossible to ignore: Mainstream America was falling in love with Chevy trucks. The 1971 trucks helped Chevrolet set a new car and truck calendar year sales record of more than 3 million vehicles that year. On a model-year basis, Chevy truck production for 1971 totaled 739,478, also a record at that point. Of all the Chevrolet truck models offered for '71, by far the most popular was the 2WD C/10 pickup, with more than a quarter million built. Spurring the half-ton's acceptance was the new-for-1971 Cheyenne premium trim package, which raised Chevy pickup interior style and comfort to new levels.

1973 C30 One-Ton Dually

This third-generation C/K square-body truck was the first crew cab dually to market, and many consider it to be the first modern Heavy Duty Truck. The design reflects a dramatic increase in capability for customers who used their trucks for both work and recreation. It is simple, tough and purposeful, similar to the earliest Chevrolet trucks.

1976 Chevrolet C/10 Stepside Pickup

Tradition counts in the truck business, and wise truck makers stay mindful of the past while moving ahead. When Chevy launched its smooth-sided, double-walled Fleetside pickup box in mid-1958, it kept the Stepside box in the lineup as well. It would remain available, one way or another, for another 45 years. The classic Stepside design had a small step – really a vestige of the old-time running board – mounted ahead of each rear fender. These were useful for reaching items collected at the front of the bed. Convenience aside, some Chevy pickup buyers just plain liked the look of a Chevy Stepside. The dealer-added paint striping and aftermarket wheels on the Stepside shown provided an individualized custom appearance.

1987

Technology Helps Build Torque and Increase Efficiency. Until the early '70s, increased displacement and higher compression were easy ways to build more horsepower and torque. That changed with industry mandates that dramatically affected traditional power-building techniques. Chevrolet traded high compression for high technology, developing electronic fuel injection that helped restore the torque of previous years with greater efficiency. Torque in the Small Block engine returned to 300 lb-ft in 1987 and got another 10 percent increase a few years later, with the 5.7L Vortec Small Block. Today the available 6.2L Small Block in the 2018 Silverado 1500 is rated at 460 lb-ft of torque, thanks to technologies including variable valve timing and direct injection, giving it the highest torque rating of any light-duty pickup V-8 engine.

1988 C/K1500

The C/K1500 was the first truck design influenced by aerodynamics. This generation had great design reach, meaning it looked very advanced for its time. That is especially true for the new interior design, with a low instrument panel, pod-like setup and even buttons that looked futuristic. This truck still looks modern and sophisticated 40 years later.

1999 Silverado 1500 LT Z71

This was the first generation that used the Silverado nameplate. It also introduced many of the modern design elements that customers associate with current Chevy truck design, especially the iconic Chevrolet front end. 

also see Historical Chevrolet Truck Photo Gallery

 

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