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Chevrolet C/K: the pickup that defined American trucks for four decades

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1965 Chevrolet C/K
1965 Chevrolet C/K, from the first generation. Photo by Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Chevrolet C/K was Chevrolet’s full-size truck range from 1960 until 2002. The letter C meant two-wheel drive and K four-wheel drive, and over four generations the trucks became the basis for GM’s full-size SUVs and one of the most familiar shapes on American roads.

Chevrolet C/K at a glance

Chevrolet C/K key facts
Production 1960–2002 model years
Meaning C for two-wheel drive, K for four-wheel drive
Generations four
Second generation Action Line, 1967–1972
Third generation Rounded Line, or Square Body, 1973–1987
Fourth generation the OBS trucks, 1988–1998
Rivals Ford F-Series and Dodge D series
Medium-duty successor Chevrolet Kodiak from 1990
Pickup successor Chevrolet Silverado from 1999
South American production Argentina and Brazil, 1960–2001

History of the Chevrolet C/K

The C/K arrived for 1960 and was sold by both Chevrolet and GMC. Although best known as a pickup, the range also included chassis-cab and medium-duty trucks, and it provided the chassis for GM’s full-size SUVs. Throughout its life it competed directly with the Ford F-Series and the Dodge D series, later the Dodge Ram.

1989 Chevrolet C/K
1989 Chevrolet C/K of the OBS generation. Photo by Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Four generations followed. The second, from 1967 to 1972, was marketed as the Action Line; the third, from 1973 to 1987, was the Rounded Line, known to enthusiasts as the Square Body. The fourth generation of 1988 to 1998 is often called the OBS, or old body style, trucks; Chevrolet kept the C/K name while GMC moved to the single Sierra nameplate, although C/K stayed as the internal code. In South America the truck was built by General Motors de Argentina from 1960 to 1978 and by Sevel Argentina from 1986 to 1991, while General Motors do Brasil produced versions for Brazil, Argentina and Chile from 1964 to 2001.

As GM reorganised its truck ranges in the 1990s, the medium-duty C/K trucks were replaced by the Chevrolet Kodiak and GMC TopKick in 1990. For 1999 the fourth-generation pickups were replaced by an all-new truck, and Chevrolet followed GMC in dropping the C/K name in favour of a single Silverado nameplate, although the trucks were sold side by side at first. The last C/K pickups were built for the 2000 model year, the final medium-duty chassis cabs for the United States in 2001–2002, and the C3500HD continued in Mexico until 2006.

Design and features

  • C and K: the letters told you whether the truck drove two or four wheels.
  • Action Line and Square Body: the second and third generations are the best-known classics.
  • Basis for the SUVs: the C/K chassis carried the Suburban, Blazer and Tahoe.
  • Long run: forty-two model years and production in North and South America.

Chevrolet C/K versions

  • First generation (1960–1966): the original C/K with independent front suspension.
  • Action Line (1967–1972): the second generation.
  • Rounded Line (1973–1987): the Square Body trucks.
  • OBS (1988–1998): the fourth generation with the new aerodynamic body.
  • C3500HD: the heavy chassis-cab built in Mexico until 2006.

The C/K was replaced by the Chevrolet Silverado and provided the chassis for the Chevrolet Suburban, Blazer and Tahoe. Its medium-duty duties passed to the Chevrolet Kodiak.

Sources

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