Chevrolet celebrates 100 years of trucks
inspired past The designers work the 2018 of Centennial Edition Chevy Silverado and Colorado pickups, created as a tribute to the 100th-anniversary milestone.
Chevrolet is celebrating its 100th anniversary of building trucks. I recently spoke with design and marketing executives to highlight iconic past Chevy truck designs, and was on hand when they introduced the new special-edition and mediumduty pickups.
The brand’s century of truck production began with the 1918 One-Ton. It was a bare-bones design, consisting of a rolling chassis, topped with an open cab, which was powered by a 36-horsepower four-cylinder engine. The truck’s open frame allowed its owners to install bodies to fit their specific needs. Rich Scheer, Chevrolet Trucks director of exterior design, whittled down his list of standout historical designs to three.
The 1955 model, Scheer said, was a “landmark in truck design.” It was the first Chevy truck to sport a Fleetside body, featuring a bed surface that’s flush with the cab and fender. “From the front to the end of the truck,” he said, “every part of this truck was designed style.”
Scheer picks another Fleetside pickup, the 1967 C10, as a “timelessly beautiful” design. “I love the surfacing of the shoulder lines that extend from the front fenders to the doors, and then taper to the box,” he said.
Importantly, the C10 marked the beginning of a design language up front that has been followed through on trucks today. Its grille bar, which is centered with a bowtie emblem, connects with headlamps on either side. The 1967’s body lines also were enhanced with the first-time use of metallic paint.
Scheer’s list of iconic Chevy truck designs wraps up with the 1988 Silverado. “This truck was really such a leap forward from a design perspective,” he said. “It was very clean, modern and very futuristic. I love the flush door handles and the flush side glass.”
Great designing is evident inside the cab, too, Scheer said. The gauge cluster is “futuristic,” and the low beltline, cowl and instrument panel enhance visibility. “Guys on the design team back then nailed it.”
The work of past designers inspired the 2018 Centennial Edition Chevy Silverado and Colorado pickups, created as a tribute to the 100th-anniversary milestone. These trucks feature a number of design elements borrowed from vintage trucks, including Centennial Blue exterior paint, 100-years door badges and heritage Chevy bowties.
“These vehicles are really built for the most-enthusiastic Chevrolet truck fans to celebrate along with us our 100 years,” Scheer said.
The large heritage bowtie emblems adorning the trucks’ grilles and tailgates are tributes to the earliest bowties. Design inspiration for the throwback emblem comes from 1918 and 1926 trucks, as well as from the 1936 Suburban Canopy Express.
Original drawings were used to create the font for the text within the bowtie. Hash marks above and below “Chevrolet,” and the emblem’s dark-blue color reflect early Chevy emblem design.
The aforementioned heritage-inspired emblems, badges and paint are added to Silverado LTZ Z71 and Colorado Z71 crew cab models. Special treatments continue with spray-in bedliner and a large heritage bowtie on the bed’s front panel, Centennial Edition badging on floor liners and chrome tow hooks.
The Centennial Edition Silverado adds 22-inch silver-painted wheels with chrome inserts, all-terrain tires and chrome bowtie on the steering wheel. Its special-edition Colorado sibling gets a body-color rear bumper and grille surround, and chrome belt molding, mirror caps and door handles. The Colorado rolls on LT-optional 18-inch cast-aluminum wheels with monochromatic caps.
Starting price is $53,465 for the Centennial Edition Silverado. The Centennial Edition Colorado estimated base price is in the mid-to-high $30,000s.
Chevrolet also announced that its Silverado family is expanding with the first-ever 4500 and 5500 mediumduty pickups. The Silverado mediumduty trucks will be offered in multiple chassis configurations designed for easy upfit. The trucks are powered by Duramax diesel engines, paired with heavy-duty Allison transmissions. “It’s important to note that these aren’t simply oneton trucks with heavier springs,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks advertising and marketing director. “They’ve been designed from the ground up to be medium-duty trucks.” The 4500 and 5500 are going to be revealed early next year, he said, and be available for customers in late 2018.
These new medium-duty trucks, along with fullsize, midsize and special-edition pickups, fit with Chevrolet’s goal to provide a wide variety of trucks for its customers, Piszar said. “No two truck customers are alike, and when you look at today’s truck market and the diversity available in today’s truck market, a onesize-fits-most solution is not really possible.”