The Best Classic Pickup Trucks
Classic vehicles are often remembered for a combination of factors; speed, elegance, comfort, revolutionary engineering, and history on the racetrack are only a few of the entry criteria for various halls of fame. However, to truly shine in some of these areas, cars often have to give up one of the biggest pieces of import for the everyman: practicality. Tiny trunks, extra seats, and off-road strength are sacrificed for the purposes of streamlining. But what if you need something that will simply get the job done? Enter the pickup truck, the driving world’s favorite way to haul things from point A to point B.
Pickups have been around for almost as long as the automobile, and in the time since, they have become a fixture of workplaces and communities across the country. In celebration of how these flat-backed vehicles have changed the road for the better, let’s take a look at some of the pickup trucks that stand out throughout their roughly 130-year history.
Ford Model TT and Bronco
The Ford name has been synonymous with trucks almost as long as it has been with cars. In 1917, only 9 years after their first Model T rolled off the line, Ford released the Model TT package, a flatbed pickup body option for the Model T. For just $600, customers could purchase a freight vehicle that was as cost-effective and easy to repair as their everyday rides. This was a huge boon to multiple sectors of American industry, especially the military; more that 12,000 Model TTs were produced for the U.S. army during WWI, and since they could be used as anything from ambulances to cargo trucks, they became an invaluable vehicle for the war effort.
Since that time, Ford has done well to endear its trucks in the hearts of U.S. consumers. There’s a reason why the Ford F-series trucks are the most well-known and commonly sold models in the entire country, after all. But when it comes to classic pickups from the manufacturer, there’s no more famous model than the Ford Bronco. From 1966 to 1977, the first generation of these two-door, four-wheel drive trucks took the country by storm, innovating on the Sports Utility name by providing an amazing intersection between practicality and comfort. Its large number of outdoor and off-road options–including a snowplow, a winch, and a tow bar–allowed each customer to make their dream Bronco. Later generations of the model became more SUV than truck, increasing the uniqueness and rarity of these first Broncos in the eyes of collector communities. An extensive collection and restoration community exists around 1st-gen Broncos even to this day, demonstrating just how much of an impact Ford made with their second vehicle to bear the mark of a wild horse.
Chevrolet El Camino and K5 Blazer
Chevrolet has also been responsible for their fair share of the great pickup trucks. The Silverado is the second-highest selling truck line behind Ford, and its appeal doesn’t look to be disappearing any time soon. However, this isn’t the first time Chevy released a successful competitor in the truck segment; that practice dates all the way back to 1959 with the introduction of their El Camino. Ford had introduced their Ranchero–an automobile front with a rear truck platform–two years prior in 1957, and Chevy was quick to respond with a model of their own. Despite its being based on the Chevrolet Brookwood automobile chassis, El Caminos could be purchased with the drivetrain of any Chevrolet currently offered. This meant that discerning customers could have a truck-platform car that was also the quickest on the market; in fact, a test conducted by Hot Rod magazine demonstrated that the 1959 El Camino with the 348 V8 and 4-speed transmission output the fastest speed of any commercial vehicle at 130 mph. Though the Ford Ranchero fizzled in popularity over the next few years, the El Camino stayed around all the way until 1987, co-opting the bodywork from the Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu models as it evolved. Even to this day, the unique shape and unexpected power of the El Camino makes it desirable for collectors around the country and the globe.
The El Camino was far from Chevrolet’s only classic success story. Ten years after the release of their half-car-half-truck, Chevy took the world by storm again with another powerhouse, the K5 Blazer. K5 Blazers were built on modified chassis of Chevrolet C/K series trucks with shorter wheelbases and less overall weight. The goal in this practice was to combine a lightweight framework with the power of a traditional pickup to deliver a package that could do it all. And the practice definitely succeeded; Blazers were instantly popular due to the intersection of their luxury features (automatic transmission, air conditioning, convertible top, etc.) with their powerful engine options (especially the 307 and 350 V8s). Such was the impact of the Blazer that it outsold Ford, Dodge, and Jeep’s offerings in its debut year, forcing the competition to rethink their strategies in the years to come.?
Jeep Wagoneer and J-Series?
Jeep has long held a reputation as the U.S.' premier producer of 4-wheel drive vehicles. This tradition began in the 1940s with the production of the Willys Jeep for the allies in World War II, and it continues today with the range of SUVs the company continues to manufacture. Despite being more well known for focusing on this market segment, Jeep has found great success in hearkening back to the Willys with the occasional pickup truck. One such case was the Jeep Wagoneer, an all-wheel drive truck that was responsible for creating the luxury 4x4 market segment all on its own. Its suite of options–including power steering, automatic transmission, independent front suspension, and air conditioning–had never before appeared in a two-door truck before. This propelled the model to the forefront of market popularity and forced all other competitors to play catch-up in their development of other models. In the meantime, Jeep had time to develop the Super Wagoneer, an even more luxurious limited-run model that gave 1966-1969 customers a true taste of the options that were to become customary in this market segment. A Hi-Po 270 hp V8 engine was married to a body kitted with power brakes, a retracting rear window, interior ceiling lights, an adjustable steering wheel, and a push-button radio.
Despite its success, the 2-door truck version of the Wagoneer was phased out in the 1970s in order to make the Wagoneer more of a true SUV. Luckily for core Jeep truck fans–and new fans looking to keep a Jeep pickup in their garages–there was the J-series. These trucks (initially known as Jeep “Gladiators”) shared the frame of the Wagoneer while maintaining a simpler exterior look and interior experience. Over the first generation of the J-series (1962-71), power steering, power brakes, and power take-off add-ons endeared the trucks to legions of fans. The intersection of accessibility and reliability they offered was commendable, and the V8 engine options never hurt, either. 1974 even saw the addition of the popular AMC 401 V8 block, which added 330 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque to an already remarkable machine. Drivetrains, engine options, and overall engineering improved steadily until 1987, when Chrysler bought out Jeep and discontinued the line. Luckily for pickup enthusiasts who miss their old Gladiators, Jeep reintroduced the name in 2020 with the release of their new pickup model.
International Harvester Scout
Present-day drivers may be unfamiliar with the name International Harvester, but truck owners from 1961 to 1980 have a four-wheeled reason to remember the manufacturer fondly. This company was a pioneer of the pickup truck as we know it today; during a series of concepting sessions in the late 1950s, the company searched for a way to transform their work truck, the Travelall, into something more recreational without compromising functionality. Drawing inspiration from (and innovating on) the Willys Jeep CJ, the company released the Scout, a truck bridging the gap between the half-car half-pickups of the past and the true pickups of later years.
The first models produced by the company were known as Scout 80s; simple, boxy-bodied trucks with inline-four engines. However, as the years and decades passed, International Harvester produced many variants of the Scout to fit the needs of multiple market sub-segments. These include the Scout Campermobile–a model with a camper roof, kitchenette, and beds permanently affixed to the rear–and the 800, which improved the engineering and engine options of the Scout while adding convertible and removable roofs. From 1971 to 1980, further improved “Scout IIs” were produced, toting further package options such as the Super Scout. This model, designed to directly compete with Jeep, featured a soft roof, removable doors, and a roll cage. Even though the International Harvester Scout did not persevere into the 1980s due to company cutbacks and employee strikes, it was responsible for pushing Jeep to continuously improve its lineup and turning its owners into lifelong pickup lovers.
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Toyota Hilux
Toyota is an automotive powerhouse whose vehicles continually entice otherwise car-loyal consumers due to their reliability. Their off-road vehicle segment, including the 4Runner and the Tacoma truck, are especially beloved for their ability to “live” for a long time, but these vehicles owe their reputation and success to their predecessor: the Hilux. This pickup (literally sold as the “Toyota Pickup Truck” in North America) offered competitive features upon launch in 1968, enticing Ford and Chevy truck drivers to the model with five-speed transmissions, longer cabs, and simplified leaf suspension.
Reliability was also a big plus for Hilux owners. Models were commonly known to run for hundreds of thousands of miles without any problems, despite corrosion, wear and tear, and regular hauling of heavy loads. This famous “indestructibility” was even put to the test by British motoring tv program “Top Gear” in 2003, when its hosts submerged it in the ocean at high tide, smashed it with a wrecking ball, dropped it from a magnetic crane, and even demolished an entire skyscraper on top of it. After a brief tune-up with basic tools (or sometimes even immediately after the test), the truck always started without fail. Even though the Hilux was pulled from western markets entirely in the late 1980s, this trademark invulnerability and decades-long reputation for reliability continues to endear antique models in the minds of collectors and enthusiasts today.
Trucks will always have their place in the automotive world. Many drivers who have built their lives around manual labor or outdoor recreation will continue to need vehicles that they can take to the job site, the deer blind, the campsite, and around town. Luckily for those truck drivers who are also classic auto enthusiasts, pickups constantly innovate on the driving experience in ways that make them desirable, rare, and worthy of their spots in vehicle halls of fame.?
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