Pickup Lines – Five Top Trucks

A few of us here at Car & Classic get a little giddy when a tasty American truck comes up for sale on the classifieds or via our auctions platform. We just can’t help it. Maybe its our age – growing up in the ’80s and binging those classic American movies and TV shows, most of which would feature pickup trucks of some description – we’re looking at you The Fall Guy. Or perhaps it’s merely the lure of the exotic, the different, the less accessible. Living in the UK our contact with pickup trucks (ones worth lusting over at least) has historically been limited. Yes we were privy to the Japanese trucks; the Mitsubishi L200 and the Toyota HiLux, for instance, but those big, burly, V8-equipped monsters from across the pond? Not so much.

Yep, that’s me on the right circa 1984 with my toy pickup truck from The Fall Guy.

They never really caught on in the UK. We made do with the van instead, which is arguably a much more practical option when it comes to lugging stuff around but nowhere near as cool. Pickup trucks are as American as apple pie, the Grand Canyon and prohibitively expensive healthcare, and we love them. If you think about it it’s easy to see that the pickup truck was merely a mechanised, evolutionary step for the horse drawn wagon. You have the engine up front (the horse), the driver sitting in the cab (historically atop the carriage) and then the bed (the wagon part). Originally built and utilised by farmers in the early 20th century the humble pickup has evolved over time into the everyman vehicle it is today, clinching the title of best-selling vehicle in the States for as long as we can remember. So, we thought we would celebrate the pickup truck and compile a list of five classic models that we think best represent that most American of vehicles.

Ford F-Series

In production since 1948 the Ford F-Series of trucks are some of the most revered of all time and represent the quintessential pickup to many. Still in production today the F-Series has been the best-selling pickup truck in America since the ’70s. Just let that sink in for a second. From the lighter F-100 through to the heavier duty and commercial versions, to the bonkers performance-oriented F-150 SVT Lightning, there’s an F-Series truck for everyone and there’s a trim level and engine spec to suit even the fussiest of fans. We had a 1989 F-150 for a time and while it did require a re-mortgage to run we bloody loved it.

Chevrolet C10

When we think of the classic, boxy pickup truck we think of the Chevy C10. Introduced in 1960 the C10, available with a whole host of different options across the range, was wildly popular, establishing Chevrolet as one of the top pickup truck manufacturers in the country. The second generation models, known as the ‘Action Line’ range, were, and still are renowned for their good looks and remain beloved today among restorers and the restomod community alike, with many a C10 having been refreshed and improved upon to bring them up to modern standards.

Chevrolet El Camino

Can’t decide if you prefer a truck or a car? Then why not have both and get yourself a Chevrolet El Camino. Officially dubbed a ‘coupé utility vehicle’ the El Camino hit the streets in 1959 and remains an interesting take on the classic pickup. With its innate ability to haul both ass and cargo in equal measure it was a versatile beast that now enjoys cult status amongst both truck aficionados as well as muscle car fans. Ford had paved the way a couple of years earlier with its Ranchero but we prefer the El Camino, mainly because of the third-gen, 350bhp Super Sport version.

Volkswagen Caddy

Perhaps not quite as imposing or as impressive as the Yankee big boys the diminutive VW Caddy was nonetheless a true pickup truck and an incredibly cool one at that. It may appear as though it had shrunk in the wash but the Caddy – based on the Mk1 Golf – was surprisingly capable and came with a whole host of different engine options. It is still being produced to this day but it was only those first-gen models that were developed as actual pickup trucks. Today there’s a thriving scene and these compact carryalls remain popular amongst both VW fans and the modding community.

Toyota HiLux

It didn’t take the Japanese auto makers long to jump on the pickup truck bandwagon and the famously indestructible Toyota HiLux is our pick of the bunch. Introduced in 1968 the HiLux was smaller and less powerful than its American counterparts but boy did it make up for any performance shortcomings with its sheer ruggedness and reliability. There’s a reason why its utilised by militant groups as the technical of choice; these things will take any abuse thrown at them and still start on the button, carrying you and your friends to your next insurgency without complaint. Just strap a belt-fed machine gun to the back and you’re good to go. Still going strong today, the fifth-gen version is the star of the show in our humble opinion.

Perennially popular, especially in the US, the pickup truck has been a stalwart of car culture since its inception. Historically gaz-guzzling, smoke rolling monsters, many manufacturers are developing electric versions of their trucks and so like it or loath it the pickup is very much here to stay. We think they’re great and everyone should have owned and enjoyed a pickup truck at least once in their lives, even if it’s only a scale model of a 1981 GMC K-2500.