What happened between 67 and 72?

[davepl]

Is it just me, or do the 67s seem more like "real work" trucks and the 72s becoming "Family travel haulers"? It's weird because the 67s are still in the same series.

Was it an actual societal change going on? There were still ample station wagons and my recollection of the days' campgrounds (born 68) was that people usually towed their campers with full size cars, not trucks.

Or did just more options become available? Or is it all in my head?

Sure -seems- like trucks that aren't actually any different were ordered as K20 logging trucks one year and Longhorn Custom Campers by '72.... as a general trend, of course. Exceptions abound.

[Gimme Jimmy]

The efforts of the manufacturers GM, Ford, Dodge, etc. were all about making trucks that were more like cars. I personally think that GM had the "edge" at that, with the best suspension of all of them.

[leddzepp]

67/68 looks more like a car to me with the slanted hood, 71/72 looks more like a truck with the squared hood and egg crate grille insert IMO.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by davepl

Is it just me, or do the 67s seem more like "real work" trucks and the 72s becoming "Family travel haulers"? It's weird because the 67s are still in the same series.

Was it an actual societal change going on?

The change was already well under way, its just that production numbers and survival rates are not as high as later models, so its not as obvious. What changed was in the mid 60's when more and more trucks began to be sold as second cars and recreational vehicles. Years can be pin pointed to 1965-1966 when camper special and bucket seat options were introduced. With these packages, they wanted the extra goodies found in most cars of the day, power steering , power brakes , air conditioning etc. So yes, there was a societal change that was taking place in the 60's, and not only for the younger generation which the media seems only to focus on.

[special-K]

After WWII, when the Advance Designs came out was the beginning of GM marketing trucks to be useful as second vehicles, take to town, suburban chore boys. The deluxe cab with chrome trim and 2-tone paint was fancy for a truck. '55 was a break-through year with the introduction of the Task Master design...and along with that came the Cameo. The cameo was by no means produced to be a work truck. Things just evolved from post war and are still evolving. I suppose the late-60s to early-70s show a more noticeable incease of options and trim packages. '67 was the first year to offer three trim levels, which carried through, except the Sierra Grande and Cheyenne Super were added. but that was a pretty superficial #4. I don't think the difference between a Cheyenne and a Super was a deal breaker for customers. If a Cheyenne was in the color a buyer preferred and had the options they wanted, they would take that over a Cheyenne. And, even though many wanted all these options, many thought a truck should have rubber mats, manual trans/steering/brakes. I always looked at it as simple evolution. The 67-72s are all the same truck with minor differences to me

[70cst]

SpecialK has a lot of good info. The LINK has a write up about our truck (67-72).


http://www.trucktrend.com/features/1...pickup-trucks/

[PanelDeland]

Another point to consider is that typically that era , the automakers built cars for a few years with the same/similar bodies. The way they differed was in the trim in many cases. As a particular series evolved, trim usually was flashier and there was more of it. These trucks also came in the time when trucks were being built for more than just carrying stuff around.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Years can be pin pointed to 1965-1966

Yes, we can pin point, or as this article states back in the day: "Suddenly". The world didn't begin in '67, which might be a shock to some. Post war trucks in the 40's and 50's always had deluxe options with extra chrome and nicer upholstery, but, sales did not take off till the mid 60's. Every year since this point, you will find a steady progression of more and more pickups built with more and more options.

[70cst]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Yes, we can pin point, or as this article states back in the day: "Suddenly". The world didn't begin in '67, which might be a shock to some. Post war trucks in the 40's and 50's always had deluxe options with extra chrome and nicer upholstery, but, sales did not take off till the mid 60's. Every year since this point, you will find a steady progression of more and more pickups built with more and more options.

Good points -- it was the 67-72 years that GM aimed as offering a truck as a second car. For the most part trucks prior to 67 were designed for work verses secondary transportation. It was in 67-72 that trucks could be optioned out with car like options.

[Boog]

The designers in 67 began to make a pickup more urban acceptable with it's design and trim. No longer was a truck simply a work horse, utilitarian vehicle. In the 60s more wives began taking jobs outside the home so 2 vehicles were then needed. As women drove the family sedan or wagon the men normally drove a truck. It was suitable to drive to the office or plant everyday as well as haul or tow when the need arose. Finally a pickup truck was welcome in most any parking lots. Through the 70s and 80s more refinements made them even nicer. Today's trucks are as refined as most any cars.
I wonder what the ratio of passenger cars to truck sales is today.

[special-K]

That all started in '55 with the Cameo* being introduced. Those led to the Fleetside. By then trucks could have many options never offered in prior years. Then came the El Camino, restyled '60s trucks, coil springs, and more options, building up to the 67-72s where trucks took bigger steps into comfort & convenience options, as well as cosmetic. GM also went after the camping/outdoor and 4wd market in the post-war. These things picked up progressively and by the '60s all really took off. The transition into the '70s is what we see in these trucks. We had three in the '60s and three in the '70s. They brought trucks into the '70s, three years later a body change for the decade and beyond, and very little other change.

The market responded well to these offerings and GM forced the other guys to up their game. The market has gone through a few leaps and bounds eras where people caught on to trucks, then SUVs for one purpose or another. SUVs took off once the started making 4-doors. They became the new mini-van. But that's another topic


* And GMC Suburban Carrier. The key word here is "Suburban"

[sodly]

72 Chevys weren't the first fancy-pants pickups. Nor were Cameos.

[special-K]

Right, and there were Studebakers as well as Hudson Big Boys and Terraplanes. But, we're talking GM trucks here. GM trucks had all that chrome in the '40s, too. Everything did.


Packard made some fancy and comfortable trucks in the '30s

[Andy4639]

The later models where to get the young GI's coming back to America to buy them. They (GM) was hoping people would like the idea of a nice comfy truck to ride to town in instead of the car. Most people back then used trucks for trucks and drove them more on a daily basis than the family car which was for church and trips.
GM wanted to make driving a truck a better all round experience for everyone.

These truck set the stage for the truck market you see today. More trucks sold per year than cars.

[70cst]

Its more than shiny chrome but that did add to the good looks - It was the ride and handling that made it more of an alternative to the family car...

[special-K]

True, and that good riding Chevy Truck was available in 1960. In 1937 that Packard pickup drove better than any Chevy car, more like a Cadillac, if not better. I'm not trying to be contradictory. I just look at trucks from a broader perspective. The fact is, everything about these trucks people liked and they sold like hotcakes. They never lost popularity, and came back even more loved than when they were bought as the current product (for many). Everything came together on these trucks and the design remained relevant for many decades. Still relevant, but some want them to perform the same as current vehicles. The entire US auto industry went through major changes after WWII and personal use pickups is one market that spurred from that and it expanded in phases through the years. Between market demand/industry responding and marketing/buyers responding, a fancier truck could be had as the years went on. By the mid-60s you could have a V8 automatic p/s air conditioned truck with chrome trim and metallic paint. You could have all that in a Custom Camper. And you could have all but automatic and p/s in a 4wd. 67-72 was most certainly one of the most crucial points (a pinnacle, pivot point, whatever) in the whole truck world. The truck market really exploded throughout the '70s after these trucks, as well as after the gas crisis of '73.