The Glamour Pickups are hands down the all time favorite with Chevrolet pickup collectors.
First for their refined, handsome styling but also for their derivability, quality engineering and excellent power.
It was in the Glamour Pickup Era that Chevrolet pickups made the major transition from being merely utilitarian to high-styled "personalized" pickups. For the first time ever in 1967, for the industry in total, V8 engines outsold six cylinder engines. Chevrolet, on the other hand, still sold slightly more sixes than V8s, which is easy to understand, because Chevrolet historically had been the industry's six cylinder engine leader (in 1968 Chevrolet sold more V8s than sixes; 410,178 to 269,291). America's love affair with the Recreation Vehicle (RV) was getting into high gear by this time and the pickup was the vehicle of choice for more RVers. Many families bought a pickup to carry slide-on campers or pickup covers and to pull travel trailers or hi-low camper trailers. These RVs totaled almost 95 percent of the RV market. Automobiles, sedans and station wagons, were another tow vehicle of choice for many families. Because RVing was enjoyed by the whole family a great deal of pressure was put on the manufacturers to build pickups with style, power, automatic transmissions, riding comfort, power assists, air conditioning and comfortable cab interiors.
The Glamour pickups are easy to keep track of because they consist of only six model years made up of three sets of two. Years 1967 and 1968 have the same style, as do years 1969 and 1970, and years 1971 and 1972 made up the third set. Shown is a 1968 Series 20 Model 20934 3/4-ton Fleetside pickup. The standard engines for this pickup were the 250 six and 283 V8; optional engines were the 292 six and 327 V8. The three-speed manual transmission was standard equipment and the four-speed manual, Powerglide and Turbo-Hydramatic were options.
The new 1967 Chevrolet pickups were referred to as "a new concept in personalized pickups." Chevrolet pickups featured a great new shape for '67, a new lower height for easier entry and more comfortable cab interiors, new power, new lower height for easier entry and more comfortable cab interiors, new power, an upscale Custom Sport Truck (CST) model, which featured the comfort and appearance of a passenger car and an all-new 4WD system.
The 6 1/2 foot short box C10 half-ton's wheelbase was 115 inches, the eight foot long half- and C20 3/4-ton's box was 127 inches and the C30 nine foot one-ton box was 133 inch wheelbase. The nine foot box was only offered as a Stepside. The Fleetside cargo box was available only on half- and 3/4-ton pickups. Fleetside pickup boxes continued to be available with either steel floors or with optional wood floors protected with recessed steel skid strips.
Front suspensions for all Chevrolet trucks continued to be independent with coil springs. For series 10 and 20 pickups, coil spring rear suspensions were also standard equipment. Leaf springs were standard for Series 30 trucks. New optional tapered auxiliary rear springs were offered for Series 10 and 20 trucks.
Chevrolet's camper pickup line was enhanced for 1967 by the addition of the CST luxury cab interior package and Custom Camper packages for Series 10, 20 and 30 models. Custom Camper equipment included front stabilizer bars and heavier springs, shocks, wheels and tires for better load handling characteristics.
The 1970 Chevrolet 3/4-ton Series C20 Fleetside pickup Model 20934 shown was one of the second of the three sets of Glamour pickups. Note how the front of this truck had been restyled to give it a more aggressive appearance than that of the 1967 and 1968 trucks. Other than that the 1969 and 1970 trucks were basically the same as the 1967 and 1968 models. The engine lineup changed but the transmission lineup didn't. Standard engines for 1970 included the 250 six and the 307 V8; optional were the 292 six and the new 350 V8.
Chevrolet's 4WD pickups for 1967 had a lower look because engineers redesigned their powertrain components to reduce the overall height of the truck while still retaining a transfer case to ground height of 12 1/2 inches. They did this by relocating the transfer case to a higher position and by attaching it directly to the transmission. The overall height of the truck was lowered by five inches. 4WD pickups were only offered as half- and 3/4-ton model but as either Stepsides or Fleetsides.
Chevrolet's light-duty engine lineup for 1967 consisted of the 250 and 292 sixes and the 283 V8 and the 220 gross horsepower 327 V8. The 250 and 283 were standard equipment for all 2WD and 4WD pickups and the 292 and 327 were options for all pickups. The 4WD option was only available for half- and 3/4-ton pickups. Gross horsepower and gross torque numbers for the four engines in order by size were: 155, 170, 175 and 220 and 235, 275, 275 and 320.
The 1968 pickups carried over with only minor changes except for two issues: one, Chevrolet designers added a new Custom Comfort and Convenience cab option slotting it in between the Standard cab and the CST cab. Secondly, the 307 V8 engine replaced the 283 as the standard V8 and the 396 V8 was added as an optional V8. The 327 V8 also continued as an option.
1968 was Chevrolet's 50th Anniversary as a truck manufacturer.
An El Camino pickup was built in every year of the Glamour Era. The SUV Blazer was new in 1969.
The 1969 pickups had a redesigned grille featuring a wide, horizontal aluminum grille bar with the Chevrolet name prominently displayed. The only new pickup model was the one-ton Fleetside. It featured a 133 inch wheelbase chassis and a nine foot box (104 inches inside length). Fleetside pickups continued to offer either steel or wood floors. The engine line was revised by dropping the 327 V8 and replacing it with Chevrolet's beloved 350.
Chevrolet's 1970 pickups continued without appearance changes. The one new pickup was the 3/4 ton Longhorn. It was built on the 133 inch wheelbase and featured an 8 1/2 foot box and was capable of carrying camper bodies up to 12 feet in length. The 396 V8 was replaced by the 400 V8 (402 ci), this was the only engine change.
The 1971 models received yet another new grille design. Most Chevrolet aficionados feel this is the most attractive Chevrolet of all time. The 1972 model was similar but some Chevrolet lovers say it may be even better looking.
In 1971 Chevrolet was the first to make front disc brakes standard equipment on all light-duty trucks. The Longhorn continued in 1971. The engine lineup remained the same. It was the same for both 2WD and 4WD pickups except the 400 wasn't available for 4WDs. For environmental considerations all engines burned regular gas and were engineered to burn lower lead fuel. This was the first year for the popular, upscale Cheyenne cab interior package.
The four cylinder half-ton rated LUV mini-pickup imported from Isuzu was new in March 1972. The full-size pickups continued with only minor changes, as this was the last year for the Series.
Chevrolet continued to be the industry's leading manufacturer of pickups throughout the Glamour Pickup years.
