Last week, Trucks.com highlighted the many different features of the 2018 Chevy Silverado, and documented a slice of its very rich history. The Chevy brand's very first pickup debuted back in 1918, and professional curator Leslie Kendall of Los Angeles's Petersen Automotive Museum claimed last week that the differences between past and present models were “night and day”. During the month of March here at Orielly Chevy in Tucson, we have all been remembering a very important date in our brand's history: it was one hundred years ago this January that the 490 Light Delivery Model was introduced. Basically a stripped-out passenger car of sorts that replaced its body with a pickup bed and added stronger springs, it was well-appreciated for its ability to cart crops.
This very first truck model was powered by a 4-cylinder engine, that at the time produced just 24 horsepower. Within the truck realm, there are many vast contrasts between the present and past, and the current Silverado model is quite the remarkable advancement. It is a very sturdy-and-able 5,300-lb truck that can comfortably seat five, and has the outstanding ability to tow six tons. It now has a much more able power source: the 5.3-liter V8, that produces 355 horsepower. The top-selling vehicle in the Chevy portfolio, it accounted for 585,000 vehicles sold during 2018 alone. Ranked solidly in the second-place position among all passenger vehicles, it is a far cry from the now very-primitive seeming original 490 from 1918.
Last December, the Texas Motor Speedway was the site for the Chevy Truck Centennial Event, where loyal customers were invited to thoroughly test the towing capabilities of new trucks, and try their hand at climbing steep inclines with the new off-road Colorado ZR2. Many who were in attendance have owned more than one Chevy Truck during their lifetime, and have always held in very high regard the brand's level of dependability, and very rugged toughness.
One incredibly loyal Silverado owner from Round Rock, Texas claimed adamantly that “if he won any other truck in a lottery, he would sell it and buy a Chevy”. The vibrant large touchscreen, full leather interior, and standard WiFi connection are all an intense departure from the interiors of historic trucks such as the 490, and it is amazing to think that just a bench seat was the interior of that very early model.
The modern breed of pickups are among the most well-appointed vehicles that exist on the road, and the raising the bar on luxury and technology options have greatly assisted in the drastic shift in consumer preference. What was once a penchant for small passenger cars has now developed into a desire for light and larger trucks, and the Silverado really ups the ante while filling the bill. Car and Driver claimed over this last year that “after 100 years of building pickups, Chevy's formula is near perfect”, and gave the Silverado very high praise for its confident stature and track record.
Every single model now has a backup camera, to give you the ultimate in protection every day when you head down the road. The eAssist Package is now optional on the LTZ, and not just the LT Trim as before. Make sure you check out the off-road package during a test drive with us here at West Chevy: this offers up features like body-color grille surround, headlamp bezel, and 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. The Centennial Edition includes front and rear heritage bowtie emblems, a 100-year door badge, spray-in bedliner with heritage bowtie emblem, accessory floor liners with heritage bowtie emblems, 22-inch painted wheels with chrome inserts, and chrome tow hooks. If the Colorado is the model that best meets your needs, you can add all of these features to it as well: a Centennial edition is too great of a milestone to let stand alone!
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