The History of Chevrolet Trucks in 15 Pickups

Unlike many silly, unrelated car commercials, the "Like a Rock" anthem that was the soundtrack for Chevrolet Trucks was dead on. We still can't see a Silverado on TV or rolling down a country road without picturing a collage of trucks that have hauled dirt, rock, couches, or a large group of friends over the years. As a sturdy piece to the General Motors puzzle, Chevrolet pickups have remained a staple in the U.S. They haven't always relied purely on the Silverado name, though. In years past, trucks have come in the form of the Corvair, El Camino, S-10, and the C-10. We rummaged through the years and picked out which we thought were the most influential designs. Here is a History of Chevrolet Trucks in 15 Pickups.

Related: The Complete History of the Chevrolet Impala

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The truck that started it all. The Four-Ninety Half-Ton rolled off production lines on December 2, 1916. At the time, trucks were sold with only frontal sheet metal. Custom found the buyer supplying their own wooden cargo box or panel van depending on the requirements of the vehicle. Small business were popping up all over America, and owners need effective transport for all their local goods. Priced at $595, Chevy's first half-ton fit the bill. A second truck, the model "T," was also sold. It hit at a higher cost to match a higher weight capacity. Chevy trucks were catering to America's needs from the jump.

Factory-built pickups replaced cowl chassis models in the 1930s. Chevy's entry into the new market picked up rugged nicknames—"Cast Iron Wonder" and "Stovebolt." These new half-ton pickups competed with a variety of firms including Mack, Studebacker, Reo, and International.

The Great Depression, unsurprisingly, proved difficult for the American auto industry. However, when the economy began to recover, Chevrolet sought to revive the truck market and design new, innovative vehicles. In 1937, Chevy introduced a new, streamlined style pushed by a 78 hp engine. On a 10,245-mile monitored drive, the 1937 half-ton pickup carried a 1,060 lb. load and achieved an impressive 20.74 miles per gallon. Efficiency in design was met by fuel efficiency, even in the '30s.

After WWII, Chevy came out the box with completely redesigned vehicles. Drivers wanted a more comfortable ride, equipped with better visibility and more width to the cargo box. The Advanced-Design Half-Ton Pickup delivered on all those requests. Produced from 1947 through 1953, the Advanced-Design played a heavy role in Chevrolet's success during the first decade after the War. Ratio of sale between cars and trucks dropped to 2.5:1, and Chevy hit 2 million sales (the first for any American car maker) in 1950.

We love the 1955 Bel Air. Naturally, we love the 1955 Chevrolet Task Force Pickup too. The truck shares the Bel Air's design language, and kicks in a V8 engine option. This was the beginning of a new era of pickup trucks, a time when utility vehicles fit equally on a job site and on a gentleman's driveway. Well appointed personal use trucks like the El Camino, Avalanch, and Silverado owe much to 1955's Cameo Carrier.

People have a hate it or love it affair with the El Camino. The model launched in 1959, attempting to combine the finned styling popular in personal vehicles of the time with the utility of a half-ton pickup. Great idea, and perhaps a bit ahead of its time. After initial launch, the El Camino was retired for three years. However, in 1964, the El Camino was reborn—better suited to the 'muscle car" era than the excesses of the '50s. The El Camino saga finally ended in 1987.

Compact cars blossomed in the '60s. As a result, a small selection of smaller, forward control trucks hit the market. Included was the Corvair 95. The Corvair featured a clever unitized body design and a rear-mounted engine, part of an attempt to maximize cargo load in a small package. Despite groundbreaking design, the Corvair didn't win on show floors: Only 851 were sold in the final model year, 1964.

Kicked off by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956, the Interstate Highway System was offering Americans increased access to recreational areas by the end of the '60s. America's truck culture changed too, rather than needing to meet the rigors of work or the joys of street cruising, drivers wanted trucks that could balance both tasks…and take them further afield. The Chevrolet C-10 answered a call for pulling trailers and cruising comfortably at Interstate speeds. Released in 1967, the C-10 Custom Sport Truck package brought luxury, car-like upgrades to pickups—a pioneering move.

Believe it or not, the compact pickup wasn't born in the United States. Chevy developed the LUV in 1972, partnering with Isuzu to work on a modest 75 hp vehicle with a payload capacity of 1,100 in a six-foot bed. The simple truck would serve as inspiration for future a home-grown small truck, demanded by consumers as gas prices rose in the later years of the '70s.

In 1982, Chrevrolet launched its first domestically produced compact pickup, the now famous S-10. A little larger than the LUV—82 hp and 1,500 pound haul capacity—the S-10 gave small trucks a new look and feel. Gone were stripped down interiors, an era of the everyman truck had begun in earnest.

In the late '80s the pickup officially moved from worksite to suburbs. With an aerodynamic design and cutting-edge electronics, the 1988 Chevrolet C/K was more family car than construction hauler. The revolution in trucks was in full swing. Civilized driving from a full range of powertrains, including a 6.2-liter diesel V8, helped open up the pickup market and put new eyes on a truly American ride.

The first Sliverado launched in 1999. The new trucks were the fruits of an intensive development program, taking lessons from the C/K and providing further individual comforts. Trucks were being built more for personal use. The lines of car and truck getting blurrier in each new Chevy truck generation.

By 2004 the idea of the family truck pioneered by the C/K had truly blossomed. In 2002, the Chevrolet Avalanche pushed the light-duty pickup to new heights of comfort. With the 2004 Silverado 1500 Crew Cab, that idea was propelled towards undeniable luxury. The truck included dual-zone climate control, Bose sound systems, a rear-seat DVD player, and more. Chevy truck capability and creature comforts entered a happy marriage.

The Silverado got a refresh in 2007, with a new box frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, and improved ride and steering. These improvements continued the progression of the Chevy truck. On December 13, we'll see the next generation of the Sliverado unveiled. The event promises new design details, including fresh projector beam headlamps.

Sadly, the truck you see above is not on any American showroom floors (yet). This is what the good people over in Thailand, the world's biggest mid-size truck market, are driving. The new great-looking Colorado is part of Chevy's plan to expand the global branding through emerging markets.