The automotive market in the United States would not be the same without pickup trucks. Thankfully for Americans, plenty are available, but some of the best are no longer for sale.
There are some fantastic vintage pickup trucks on the used market, some of which don’t have the attention they deserve, and we would love for them to make a comeback.
GMC Syclone
Amidst the sea of modern performance pickups, it’s easy to overlook that GMC once produced a true legend in the early 1990s. The GMC Syclone, a rare and exclusive pickup, was only available for a single year, from 1991 to 1992. This high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma, powered by a 4.3-liter SB4 turbocharged V6, is a testament to the brand’s engineering prowess.
With its 280 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, the V6 engine of the GMC Syclone was a force to be reckoned with in its time. Its impressive speed, clocking a 0-60 mph time of just 4.3 seconds and a 1/4 mile completion in 13.4 seconds, still holds up well against many modern trucks. This is a testament to the enduring power and appeal of vintage pickups.
Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible
Modern Dodge/RAM pickup trucks are some of the best in the world. However, in 1987, the new Dakota created a new segment with mid-size pickup trucks. A big V8 under the hood added to its appeal, and then, in 1989, Dodge added the convertible Dakota Sport to the range.
Unlike the later Chevrolet SSR, the Dakota Sport was a proper convertible pickup truck. Its 3.9-liter V6 offered more powertrain choices. The truck also had unique stripes and Dakota Sport lettering to differentiate it further. Dodge pulled the plug after just three years, and the Dakota Sport is now highly collectible.
1917 Ford Model TT
The pickup truck had to start somewhere, and the first mass-produced truck in the United States was the iconic Ford Model TT. As the name suggests, it was a pickup version of the Model T, which sold for around $600 but is now worth as much as $20,000. At the time, Ford only sold the chassis, and the buyer was responsible for the body.
Under the hood, a small engine produced just 22 hp and 83 lb-ft of torque. Despite that lack of power, the Model TT could still propel itself to a top speed of 42 mph, although the 0-40 mph time was agonizingly slow at 35 seconds. However, in the early 20th century, that must have felt incredibly fast, and the Model TT set the standard for other pickup trucks to follow.
Chevrolet 454 SS
In 1990, Chevrolet wanted a slice of the performance truck market, so the 454 SS was based on the fourth-generation Chevrolet C/K. The 454 and SS badges were made famous in the muscle car era, and the 454 was the spiritual successor to the legendary Shelby Dakota, but the new 454 SS took things to a whole new level.
Under the hood was the 454 ci 7.4-liter V8 engine, which produced 230 hp. The output increased to 255 hp in 1991 when the four-speed manual was introduced. While not as flashy as the Shelby Dakota, it was an exceptional performance truck that didn’t sell as the Bow Tie hoped. Across its three-year production run, the 454 SS sold just 16,953 units.
1993 Ford SVT Lightning
Ford would produce a couple of generations of the SVT Lightning, with the first debuting in 1993. Ford built the SVT Lightning to compete with the Chevrolet 454 SS, which arrived in 1992 with a familiar recipe. Ford took a single-cab F-150, added a monochrome look, and placed a beefier V8 engine. This was the 5.8-liter Windsor V8 with 240 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque.
Ford also added an aluminum driveshaft, a limited-slip differential, custom-calibrated shocks, front and rear anti-roll bars, and thicker frame rails from the heavy-duty F-250s. At the time, it was the most potent Ford pickup truck available before Ford introduced a 7.5-liter V8 engine with 245 hp for its heavy-duty trucks.
1972-1979 Datsun D20
Nissan is no stranger to pickup trucks, and neither is its forerunner, Datsun, with the D20, a truck that would evolve into the Nissan Frontier, which is still on sale today. The Datsun D20 was one of the earliest forms of compact pickup truck, offering great versatility for a fraction of the size while ensuring that fuel mileage was more significant than on larger trucks.
Under the hood were a range of engines, from the inline-four to the diesel SB22 inline-four, some of which produced 112 hp and 108 lb-ft of torque. The smaller D20 and its successors fit the market’s demand perfectly, and compact pickup trucks still play an essential part in today’s pickup truck segment.
Dodge Lil’ Red Express Truck
Many credit the Chevrolet 454 SS as the world’s first sports/performance truck. But before that came the legendary Dodge Lil’ Red Express truck, arguably the pickup that kickstarted the performance truck idea. The Lil’ Red was a special edition of the Dodge D150 Adventurer, and it first went on sale in 1978.
Emission laws prevented the Lil’ Red from producing a lot of power, but the 360 ci V8 engine Dodge used in its police package was still good enough for 225 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Dodge also produced the Lil’ Red in 1979 before taking it off the market, and they are now rare and valuable and worth as much as $30,000.
Jeep Gladiator
Jeep first introduced the Wagoneer in 1963, and it has become a Jeep legend. However, Jeep launched the Gladiator alongside it, a mid-size pickup truck known as the Jeep J-Series. While it is a spartan and basic truck, it was more capable of handling rugged terrain, and original examples of the Gladiator had a very menacing look to them,
The first engine was the 230 ci Tornado straight-six, the only overhead-cam six-cylinder engine in the US. Jeep, however, upgraded the Gladiator in 1965 by adding the Vigilante 327 ci V8 to the pickup, which produced 250 hp. Jeep also offered go-anywhere capabilities with the Gladiator, thanks to its proven four-wheel drive system and innovative independent front suspension, a novelty on four-wheel-drive vehicles of the time.
Chevrolet El Camino SS 454 LS6
The Chevrolet El Camino might not be the most versatile pickup truck, but it is one of the best vintage vehicles that Chevrolet has produced. It is the most potent, true classic pickup truck ever made, thanks to the massive 454 ci LS6 V8 engine that produced 450 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. This was a big jump over the 396 ci big-block V8 that was also available and produced 375 hp.
Sadly, Chevrolet discontinued the LS6 after 1970, the only year that Chevrolet produced the El Camino SS 454. With less than 500 units ordered by customers, the El Camino 454 has become one of the rarest pickup trucks on the planet. However, GMC produced an identical version of the El Camino 454, the Sprint SP 454.
1999 Ford SVT Lightning
After the success of the first-generation SVT Lightning, Ford’s Special Vehicles Team wanted to take things to a new level. So when the tenth-generation F-150 came around, they came up with the latest 1999 Ford SVT Lightning. Like its predecessor, it had a single-cab layout, monochrome appearance, plus a range of exclusive performance features.
With a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 engine under the hood, the 1999 SVT Lightning produced 360 hp, up to 380 hp in 2001. Many people think of this truck when they discuss the SVT Lightning, and Ford produced 28,124 units from 1999 to 2004. The name Lightning is now used for the modern all-electric Ford F-150 truck.
Lamborghini LM002
The most unusual pickup on this list, the Lamborghini LM002, is a modern classic and the Italian supercar manufacturer’s first honest attempt at a pickup truck. It was born from the ashes of the failed Cheetah and LM001 programs, creating a striking SUV with a small pickup bed. It is more SUV than truck, but it still deserves a place on this list.
The LM002 had a 5.2-liter L503 V12 under the hood, producing 444 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Lamborghini also offered a more powerful LM002 with a Class 1 offshore powerboat engine. The 7.2-liter L804 marine V12 produced 612 hp, significantly increasing the power over the standard L503 LM002. The LM002 is exceptionally rare, as Lamborghini only made 301 examples of their mad SUV/pickup crossover.
Chevrolet LUV
Chevrolet’s most famous pickups are the Silverado and Colorado, but it has produced smaller trucks like the little Light Utility Vehicle, or LUV. This was the product of a partnership between itself and Japanese manufacturer Isuzu, with the American company importing the Japanese truck into the United States to sell as a Chevrolet.
Chevrolet introduced the LUV in 1972, just before the Arab Oil Embargo commenced, and fuel prices shot up as the gas crises took hold on the American automotive industry. Thanks to its small size, the 32 MPG imported Isuzu was perfect for the market, and it avoided the 25 percent tariff import duty that would become known as the “chicken tax” as Isuzu sent the trucks partially assembled, with Chevrolet completing them at port.
Dodge Ram SRT-10
True muscle car-style pickup trucks are rare; the last was the 2004-2006 Dodge Ram SRT-10. This is one of the craziest pickup trucks ever produced, packing a massive 8.3-liter 510 hp V10 from the Dodge Viper under the hood, making 525 lb-ft of torque. It was no slouch either, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 154 mph.
The SRT-10 was a monster of a truck, but it wasn’t just a Dodge Viper in truck clothing. This modern classic also has excellent towing capacity, can tow up to 8,150 lbs, and can carry 900 lbs worth of luggage and load it in its regular cab form. The four-door SRT-10 could have even more at 1,010 lbs.
