Few nameplates have been redesigned as often as the full-size Chevrolet pickup, which has moved from rounded post-war fenders to a battery pack. Each generation brought a feature, nickname or technical first that explains why it earned a place in the lineage. Here are twelve generations, from the 1947 Advance Design to a 725-horsepower Silverado EV.
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1. 1947-55 Advance Design: Where It Started
Chevrolet’s first major post-war redesign reached buyers on June 28, 1947, and the Advance Design article states that its trucks were number one in sales in the United States from 1947 to 1955.
That nine-year stretch of sales leadership makes the Advance Design the logical opening chapter for any tour of the lineup. Its rounded fenders and upright cab show how different a working pickup looked before the 1950s brought new styling, and surviving examples still turn up at car shows.
2. 1955-59 Task Force and Cameo Carrier: Cameo Changes the Bed
The mid-1955 introduction of the Cameo Carrier helped pave the way for the Fleetside bed, according to the Task Force and Cameo history, and the 1958 model year added four headlights and factory air conditioning.
Those changes pushed the pickup toward the smoother, more car-like look that later generations would develop. A truck once judged purely by hauling ability was starting to be offered with comfort features that buyers had previously associated with passenger cars.
3. 1960-66 C/K: Coils Come to Trucks
Independent front suspension was paired with a coil-sprung rear axle on the first C/K generation, a setup described in the Chevrolet C/K overview, and the C/K naming itself came from GMC.
That combination marked a clear break from the Task Force era and pointed toward a smoother ride. The red truck pictured is an early example with a stepside bed, a body style that shows how the new chassis could be dressed for work or for show.
4. 1967-72 “Action Line” C/K: Cheyenne and Blazer
The second-generation C/K, nicknamed the Action Line, was introduced for the 1967 model year, and the second-generation C/K entry notes that the Cheyenne trim debuted during this run.
The same pickup also served as the basis for the K5 Blazer, extending the platform beyond the cargo bed and into the sport utility market. A truck engineered for jobsites thus spawned a closely related, open-topped sibling aimed at recreation, and a trim level whose name would stay in the catalog for years afterward.
5. 1973-87 “square body” C/K: Square Body Nickname
Chevrolet called the third-generation design the Rounded Line, but the public nicknamed it square-body for its relatively straight-lined and boxy shape, and the square-body C/K page credits this generation with the first use of the Silverado name.
The nickname stuck so thoroughly that enthusiasts still use it today. One wrinkle is that Wikipedia places the Silverado debut at 1973 in one passage and 1975 in another, while GM points to the 1975 C20, so the exact first model year deserves some caution.
6. 1988-98 GMT400 C/K: The OBS Era
Introduced in April 1987 for the 1988 model year, the fourth-generation GMT400 is informally known as the OBS, short for Old or Original Body Style, according to the GMT400 generation summary.
Fans coined the label looking back from later redesigns, which is why it carries a slightly nostalgic tone. The black truck pictured here is a sport-trim example, a reminder that the same basic platform served as both a workhorse and a performance-flavored pickup.
7. 1999 Silverado (GMT800): Disc Brakes Standard
The 1999 Silverado, built on the GMT800 platform, was the first full-size pickup with standard four-wheel disc brakes, as GM’s Silverado history describes it.
Braking hardware rarely makes headlines, yet making discs standard on all four wheels set a benchmark for competitors to answer. The tan example shown carries a work-truck look with a cap over the bed, a fitting image for a generation that sold widely to fleets and tradespeople.
8. 2003 Silverado with Quadrasteer: Four-Wheel Steering
Quadrasteer arrived on the 2003 Silverado as the first full-size crew cab with four-wheel steering, with the rear wheels turning up to 12 degrees, per GM’s Silverado timeline.
The system aimed to tighten turning circles and add stability when towing, two chores that suit a large crew cab. Pictured is a silver GMT800-era crew cab, the body style that carried the feature, though the visible truck is simply representative of the generation.
9. 2007 Silverado Hybrid (GMT900): Hybrid Pickup Debut
The 2007 Silverado Hybrid, part of the GMT900 generation, was the first hybrid full-size pickup and used the Two-Mode system, as the GM’s Silverado retrospective lays out.
Putting electric assistance into a large truck was an early sign of how the segment would later explore electrification. The pictured black truck is a standard GMT900 Silverado rather than a hybrid-badged unit, so it shows the body style but not the powertrain.
10. 2014 Silverado (K2XX): Truck of the Year
The 2014 Silverado was named North American Truck of the Year, and AutoGuide award report lists a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 hp with the ability to pull 12,000 lbs.
The award placed the K2XX redesign among the most praised trucks of its debut season. Those power and towing figures illustrate how far the full-size pickup had come from the coil-sprung chassis of 1960, when ride comfort was the headline improvement.
11. 2019 Silverado with Duramax 3.0: Diesel in the Half-Ton
For 2019 the Silverado offered Super Cruise towing and a 6.2-liter V8 making 420 hp, and its 3.0 Duramax was the only diesel in its class, according to GM’s fifty-year Silverado page.
A six-cylinder diesel in a light-duty pickup gave buyers an efficiency-minded alternative to the big gasoline V8s offered alongside it. The dark truck pictured is a 2019 model and shows the sharper, more angular front end that defined this fourth generation of the Silverado nameplate.
12. 2024 Silverado EV: Electric Flagship
Unveiled at CES in January 2022, the Silverado EV delivers up to 725 hp in the Trail Boss version, a figure listed in the Silverado EV section.
That output tops this walkthrough and links the 1947 Advance Design to a battery-powered successor across more than seven decades. The blue show truck pictured is a reminder that the electric pickup moved from a trade-show reveal to a regular member of the lineup.
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