Top Twenty-Five Greatest Chevrolets
- Feb 12, 2016
By Chuck Barrett
Top Twenty-Five Greatest Chevrolets
How great is the Chevrolet brand and how much influence has Chevrolet had on the United States and the rest of the world? If someone asked you to name the top twenty-five most significant vehicle models for any automobile manufacturer other than Chevrolet, you would be hard pressed to name them. If someone asked you to name the twenty-five most significant Chevrolet models, you can’t stop at twenty five. Here is my own personal list of what I believe they are. Feel free to chime in at the bottom of this blog with your thoughts!
1. 1912 Chevrolet Model C, built by Louis Chevrolet in 1911.
2. 1914 Chevrolet, the first to wear the world famous Bowtie!
3. 1927 Chevrolet AA Capitol is the first Chevrolet to outsell Ford.
4. 1932 Chevrolet Confederate Series BA Deluxe, dubbed the "Baby Cadillac"
5. 1936 Chevrolet Suburban. The longest running American nameplate was first introduced in 1933 as a military vehicle.
6. Not one particular vehicle, but the culmination of war equipment manufactured by Chevrolet between 1942 and 1945.
7. The 1947 Chevrolet Pick-up. Millions were sold through 1955. The new standard of light duty trucks for America.
8. 1953 Corvette. The first of the breed adored by millions today.
9. 1955 Chevrolet. The car that really catapulted Chevrolet into the stratosphere. This entirely new vehicle was ground breaking, offering (finally) V8 power!
10. The 1957 Chevy is widely considered to be the most iconic vehicle of all time!
11. 1958 Impala. The "first" Impala - and the start of something very special indeed.
12. 1960 Corvair. Perhaps the most innovative vehicle ever developed by GM.
13. 1961 Impala Super Sport. The first "SS", and, near the tail end of model year production, the legendary 409 cubic-inch V8 was introduced.
14. 1963 Corvette Sting Ray. The "first" Sting Ray, all-new styling that ignited a generation of enthusiasts. 1963 was the only year for the "split" rear window, making it highly desirable today.
15. The 1965 Impala/full-size was the first Chevrolet to sell over one million vehicles in a given model year.
16. In 1965, the Mark IV V8 - 396 cubic-inches – finally put a big-block in the Corvette.
17. The Camaro made its debut for the 1967 model year - ready to do battle with Ford's Mustang.
18. 1968 Corvette. The "C3" Corvette kicked off this year with all-new styling and a host of mechanical and safety improvements. The C3 would soldier on until 1982.
19. 1970 Chevelle SS 454, LS6. The undisputed "King of the Muscle Cars".
20. 1973 Chevrolet C/K Series Pick-up trucks. A new era of style, strength and overall capability in the American-made pick-up.
21. The 1982 S-10 Pick-up (and Blazer) kicked off a new breed of small pick-up truck for America, beating Ford to the punch. Ford's Ranger debuted as a 1983 model.
22. 1990 Corvette ZR1. The LT5 aluminum block sported 4 overhead camshafts and 32 valves (developed jointly by GM and Lotus) made this the "King of the Hill" Corvette.
23. The 1994 Impala SS returns after a 25 year absence.
24. The first "C5" - the 1997 Corvette was a massive leap in styling and technology over the outgoing C4 model.
25. Long thought gone, the Camaro makes a reappearance after an 8 model year absence.
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