THE BOTTOM LINE
ALL THINGS CHANGE WITH TIME, INCLUDING WHAT’S HOT IN THE TRUCK SCENE. In the past few decades, late-models and minitrucks were getting most of the attention. Though these trends haven’t gone away completely, classic American trucks have been more popular than ever, especially C-10s. Whether you’re a fan or not there’s no denying that classics have overtaken the spotlight.
Out of the three generations, the 1967-72 body style was the first to become popular, followed by 1960-66 C-10s. Finally, the last generation of 1973-87 square-body C-10s has gotten hot. Though interest in square-bodies has increased, some people didn’t consider them classic vehicles. Generally, vehicles that are at least three decades old are considered classics, yet third gen C-10s didn’t get the respect they deserved. However, attitudes are changing, and more and more people are starting to consider square-bodies vintage gems.
One of the biggest struggles was with classic events that only allowed vehicles from the early’70s and older to participate. It looks like some promoters are coming around, opening the playing field and letting these older trucks partake in the action. Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has expanded the years that it allows at its events; the organization recently opened up many events to vehicles from 1987 and older.
Although C-10s have been the focus, there is an opportunity for other types to take advantage of the expanded access. Chevy, Ford and Dodge trucks are welcome to join in as well. I like to see diversity and hope that owners of these trucks start coming to shows, encouraging others to follow suit. I enjoy seeing custom versions of these trucks and think they too deserve their time in the spotlight. The more examples we see at shows, the more their fan bases will increase.
Another genre of trucks that has been on a rollercoaster ride of popularity is mini-trucks. There is big opportunity here as well thanks to more forgiving cutoff years at events. Classic minis could come back and gain some traction in the general automotive scene. Hopefully, fans and owners can fight the naysayers (including Jesse James) and put these trucks back on the map. If mini-trucks are truly going to be considered classic, then values will go up, making it more enticing for builders to invest in them, and the scene will grow.
I’m often asked which trucks I think will become popular or be considered the new vintage. From what I’ve seen during my travels, trucks from the ’90s are nearing that stage, but they aren’t yet viewed as classics nor have they gotten the respect they deserve. There were some great styles created during that era, and automakers made a lot of special (and interesting) performance packages at the time too. Vehicles like the Ford Lightning and Chevy SS pickups were a big deal back in the day, and they can be scooped up for low prices. I’m convinced that these trucks will become classics soon, and the market for them will increase with time.
Everyone knows that in order to make a lasting impression you need to stay ahead of the curve. These are some of the segments that will soon become vintage, and it’s a good time to become an early adopter for your next big project. Without you—the readers, dreamers and builders— we wouldn’t have a scene. If we get support for all of these types of trucks, I’m sure we’ll see growth in the community, and the rest of the world might give us more credit for what we do. If you love these trucks, keep building them, and we’ll continue to do our best to make them shine, showing everyone how cool they really are.
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE A LASTING IMPRESSION YOU NEED TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE SEGMENTS THAT WILL SOON BECOME VINTAGE ...”