1997 C/K Pickup History

• 1918 -- First Chevy Truck
• 1924 -- Commercial body suppliers offer pickup bodies for Chevy trucks
• 1929 -- New Chevy engine provides "A Six for price of a Four"
• 1930 -- Chevy 1/2-ton Pickup with factory-supplied body
• 1936 -- All-steel body introduced; hydraulic brakes standard
• 1937 -- New sheet metal; new 6-cylinder engine design
• 1941 -- New sheet metal; basic design produced through World War II and into 1947
• 1948 -- New sheet metal
• 1955 -- All-new design; first V8 engine
• 1958 -- 4x4 debuts on 1/2-, 3/4- and 1-ton pickups
• 1973 -- All-new trucks; Crew-Cab and "Big Dooley" introduced
• 1974 -- Full-time four-wheel drive with V8 engine is released
• 1975 -- Extended-Cab model debuts
• 1977 -- K30 1-ton introduced
• 1982 -- 6.2 Liter diesel engine released
• 1987 -- TBI fuel injection on V6 and V8 gas engines
• 1988 -- All-new interior and exterior design introduced
• 1990 -- 454 SS Sport Truck and Work Truck introduced
• 1991 -- Heavy-duty electronic Hydra-matic 4L80-E automatic transmission; Generation V 7.4 Liter V8 replaces Mark IV
• 1992 -- Suburban, Blazer and Crew-Cab join C/K platform; 6.5 Liter Turbo-Diesel V8 introduced
• 1993 -- 4L60-E electronic 4-speed automatic introduced
• 1994 -- Two new 6.5 Liter diesel engines introduced
• 1995 -- Driver air bag for vehicles under 8,600 lbs. GVWR; four-wheel ABS introduced; redesigned interior
• 1996 -- Automatic Daytime Running Lamps; new Vortec Series engines; third door for Extended-Cab models.