Pick a Side: What Was the Best Generation of GM Trucks?
Recently, I was asked to pick a favorite generation of classic Chevy or GMC truck. Sheesh. That’s hard.
My default, cop-out answer might be something like “Oh man, that’s impossible because they’re all so beautiful” but for many of us it’s even harder because we have some additional sentimental baggage. We literally grew up with the darned things. I was born into a family with a two-year-old ’80 GMC that served as my dad’s work truck, family vacation cruiser, and later the first engine swap I was ever part of. (It’s still in the family.) That truck is almost completely responsible for turning me into the dysfunctional car junkie that I am. Later, my first real, full on restoration project was a ’69 C10. (I still have it.) You can see where this is going. Lots of us have feelings of nostalgia and generational allegiances that make it nearly impossible to pick a favorite. So, I’m attempting a novel and seasonally appropriate approach: a bracket.
Here's how it will work: In the first round, I have paired each generation with the one closest to it chronologically. Think of this as a regional playoff. Then, winners advance to a semi-final round and then the finals. Let’s see how this works out…
Round 1:
‘47-‘54 Advance Design vs. ‘55-‘59 Task Force:
Wow, this is a close matchup right out of the gate. Introduced in ’47, the so-called Advance Design (AD) GM trucks were a huge leap forward in an automotive landscape that was full of post-war reinvigoration. We built one a while back and seeing it transform from a pokey stocker to a slammed street rod with a ton of power has made me forever love these trucks.
The ’55-’59 Task Force trucks were the next evolution in the GM truck game. In my opinion, these are a design marvel. Looking at these compared to the Tri-Five Chevy cars makes it clear that the Harley Earl-era GM design studio was on their game. Those graceful wraparound windshields, clean grille shapes, and hooded headlights all add up to a design that implies motion just sitting still. Add to the mix the Cameo and later ’58-’59 Fleetsides with that cool bullet down the bedside and the advantage goes to the ’55-‘59 generation.
Winner: ’55-’59
’60-’66 C/K vs. ’67-’72 Action Line:
This is another one that’s almost too close to call. When the call came to update the Task Force generation, the GM styling studio got busy on a modern design that set the tone for things to come. Starting in ’63, the independent front suspension and “truck arm” (yes this is where the name comes from) rear suspension put GM miles ahead of competitive trucks from Ford and Mopar. These are still viable suspension systems that are capable of hanging with modern traffic.
The ’67 “Action Line” redesign cleaned everything up stylistically, due in part to the design input of genuine hot rodder (and personal hero) Harry Bentley Bradley. While in the employ of the GM design studio, he was moonlighting for the Alexander Brothers and penning designs for future custom milestones like the Deora. He would go on to design the first generation of Hot Wheels and later the Wienermobile (not kidding). But While at GM, he helped design the near-perfect ’67-’68 GM trucks. That clean grille, sloping hood, and gently curved bodyline down the bedside make for utilitarian trucks that are actually graceful, which is a hard thing to pull off.
On a personal note, when I was shopping for my first truck project, I was looking at both of these generations. I loved the weird oval-shaped hood details on the ’60-‘61s. I loved the ’60-’63 “knee-knocker” wraparound windshield. But I had also adored the ’67-‘72s since I was a little kid. There was something so graceful about the combination of sharp and rounded lines that I’m still enamored with to this day. This is also the first body of any kind that I welded, sanded, and blocked into shape, and that’s the kind of thing that sticks with you. I have no choice but to advance the ’67-’72, with bonus points awarded to the far more elegant ’67-‘68s.
Winner: ’67-’72
’73-’87 Square Body vs. ’88-’98 OBS:
What to say about the immortal Square Body? Compared to the ’67-’72, they feel very modern. A flat hood replaced the old sculpted clamshell. The suspension was updated to improve the ride and designers paid attention to car-like things like ventilation and noise prevention in the cabin. Later models got fuel injection and overdrive transmissions. But the real kicker here is that unique design. The concave shape at the top of the body and rectangular wheel wells still stand up as bold and distinct design features all these years later. Perhaps that’s why these trucks are having a moment now and have started showing at just about every car show and cruise night, often with drivers who weren’t even born yet when these were rolling off the production line.
At the risk of showing my age, I have a hard time thinking of the OBS generation as a classic truck. While I was only 6 when they hit the showroom, I still consider these to be a viable late model daily. Even the early ones with TBI small blocks and strange gauges still seem pretty modern to me. They are cool, clean designs, and I’ve been seeing some around at events that have stopped me in my tracks. But my pick for the winner here is still the Square. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion.
Winner: Square Body
Round 2:
The ’55-’59 gets a bye-run here, so let’s pit the Square Body against the ’67-’72. Personally, this is a painful decision to make. Remember that ’80 GMC that I literally grew up with? Square Body trucks served as the preferred work truck of the dads of my generation. They were everywhere, so I and my contemporaries all have fond memories of weekend chores and trips to the hardware store in these things, Creedence Clearwater Revival blasting in the tape deck.
But I just can’t get over my love of the ’67-’72. There’s just something about these things that mystifies me. It’s not just because I have one. It’s not just because I’m helping build one for Speedway Motors. It’s just that I can’t really find a flaw in them. They look great lifted. They look great stock. They look great slammed and customized. Even the “truckier” ’69-’72 models with their blunt-nosed hoods and bulkier grilles still do it for me. There’s something next-level about these trucks.
Winner: ’67-‘72
Final Round:
Our final matchup is a bit of an odd one. The world of 1955 was way different than the world in 1967. In '55, Elvis had just recorded his first song. By '67, the Beatles had not only invaded, but were only a couple years from breaking up. The GM trucks that came out of these eras are also way different from one another. In ’55, you could get a brand new 265 V8 under the bulbous hood of your new Chevy truck. By ’67, the world knew and loved the Chevy small block, and it had grown in displacement and power. Independent front suspension had replaced the archaic straight axle, and trucks had better manners, whether they were running errands in traffic or doing truck stuff with a load in the bed.
But much of this conversation has been about styling, and I personally feel like ’55-’59 and ’67-’72 represent high water marks for GM truck design. So, I guess it makes sense that these two have ended up in our final round. If you’ve been following along at home, you can probably guess who gets my vote for the winner. For all of the beautiful mid-century elegance of the ’55-’59, I still have to give my nod to those '67-‘72s.
Tournament Champion: ’67-’72.
This has been a fun little excercise, but in spite of my best efforts to add some objective parameters here, this all still comes down to personal preference. Which truck's styling strikes the right chord for you? Which one do you have the happiest memories in? Which one is currently in your garage? Tell us about it on Instagram!