Chevy Trucks: Quite possibly the reason for everything good in life

by Steve Alexander

There are numerous milestones a person can experience during their lifetime. Graduating from college, marriage, birth of a child, retirement, and last but certainly not least, purchasing and driving your first pickup truck. Just knowing the almost limitless freedom of moving, hauling or towing anything your heart desires or needs require does a person good. Let’s take a look at the birth of “possibly the reason for everything good in life”– the Chevrolet truck.

We’ll start with the early years– the birth of the Chevy truck. When Chevrolet became part of General Motors in 1918, their first truck was made available to the public for purchase. Known as the “First Motor Years”, the Four-Ninety half and one ton models were released as a cowl and chassis design. The buyer had to complete the build by adding an aftermarket wooden cab and bed or constructing something on their own. The half-ton was based on the 102-inch wheelbase car chassis and the one-ton truck was constructed as a heavy-duty alternative with purpose-built construction. It featured a larger 2000 lb. GVW, heavier springs and larger front and rear tires than the smaller, lighter half-ton model.