Classic Chevy trucks from the 1960s and 1970s remain incredibly popular among enthusiasts and restorers. If you’re a fan of these iconic vehicles, particularly the 1970s Chevy Truck models, knowing how to identify the specific year can be crucial. Whether you’re looking to buy, restore, or simply admire these classics, this guide will walk you through the key visual differences that distinguish each model year from 1960 to 1972, with a special focus on the nuances of the 1970s era.
This article builds upon our previous guide to 1947-1959 Chevy trucks and delves into the subsequent generation of GM trucks. If you’ve ever admired a vintage Chevy truck and wondered about its year of manufacture, or if you’re ensuring that your restoration project uses correct restoration parts, this 1960-72 Chevy truck identification guide is for you. The reference photos in this article, including the featured 1971 Chevy C10 Cheyenne, are provided courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
1960 Chevy Truck
1960 marked a pivotal year for Chevy trucks with a brand-new body style. This year introduced a redesigned torsion bar front suspension system and a coil spring and trailing arm rear suspension. Visually, the 1960 Chevy truck features a low-mounted grille with two horizontal bars connecting dual headlamps. “CHEVROLET” is embossed across the lower grille bar, and the center grille opening has a distinctive three-louver insert. The hood also features oval openings on each side.
The park lamps are located in the hood openings within vertically louvered bezels. A wrap-around windshield and forward-sloping windshield pillars are characteristic of the 1960 model. The vent windows are wider at the top than the bottom. Inside, the dashboard features two large arches, with the instrument cluster housed in the left arch and the glove compartment in the right. Mechanically, the 1960 Chevy truck used a dual master cylinder, with separate circuits for brakes and the hydraulically operated clutch. A small rear window was standard, with a larger “big back window” as an option. The front bumper has vertical bolt holes spaced 3 1/4 inches apart. Custom cab models featured an aluminum trim strip from the front fender to the rear of the bed on Fleetside models. The side emblem displays “CHEVROLET” above “APACHE” and the series designation. This year also introduced the C/K designation, with C models being 2-wheel drive and K models being 4-wheel drive.
1961 Chevy Truck
The 1961 Chevy truck maintained a similar appearance to the 1960 model but incorporated subtle changes. The lower grille bar is now smooth, and the plated grille insert, while similar to 1960, includes four vertical louvers and the letters “CHEVROLET”. The park lamps feature new winged design bezels on either side of the lens. Side emblems were simplified to display only “APACHE” and the series designation (10 for 1/2 ton, 20 for 3/4 ton, 30 for 1 ton). The C/K model designations for 2WD and 4WD continued.
1962 Chevy Truck
The 1962 Chevy truck brought further refinements. A new, more modern hood without the previous year’s oval openings was introduced. The character line around the body now extended around the sides and front of the hood. Park lamp lenses remained in a similar location, surrounded by an aluminum bezel, and turn signals became standard equipment.
The grille was similar to the previous year, but the center oval now featured nine rectangular openings formed by two vertical and two horizontal bars. The lower grille bar again had “CHEVROLET” embossed. Single headlamps were reintroduced, surrounded by large ribbed bezels. Custom cab trucks retained the trim extending from the front fender to the rear of the Fleetside bed, with an additional trim strip branching off the door trim and extending to the rear of the bed. Side emblems now featured a red Bow Tie and the series designation (10, 20, 30) on top of a vertically ribbed background. C and K model designations continued.
1963 Chevy Truck
The 1963 Chevy truck maintained a similar appearance but featured a new grille design. Front suspension now used variable rate coil springs, and the clutch switched to a mechanical linkage. The grille still had “CHEVROLET” embossed in the lower bar but featured single headlamps surrounded by smaller round bezels. The center of the grille consisted of 56 rectangular holes formed by three horizontal and 13 vertical bars. Front bumper vertical bolt holes were now spaced 4 3/4 inches apart. This year also marked the introduction of the 230 and 292 cubic inch engines. The side emblem was a vertical rectangle with the series designation (10, 20, 30) on the upper portion and a red Bow Tie below. C and K model designations continued.
1964 Chevy Truck
1964 marked another significant milestone with a redesigned cab for Chevy trucks. The windshield was now a flatter design, and windshield pillar posts sloped back. Vent windows were now wider at the bottom than at the top. The redesigned grille featured numerous vertical and horizontal cross-hatches for a screened look, with “CHEVROLET” embossed on the upper grille bar. Single headlamps were surrounded by rectangular bezels.
The dash was now full cab width and featured a lip along the entire top edge, forming a shelf to reduce glare. Self-adjusting brakes were introduced this year. Factory in-dash air conditioning became an available option. Side emblems were square with the series designation (10, 20, 30) embossed and a Bow Tie on top. C and K model designations remained.
1965 Chevy Truck
The 1965 Chevy truck was similar to the 1964 model. The primary visual change was to the side emblems, which were now rectangular shaped with a Bow Tie on the left portion and the series designation (10, 20, 30) on the right. C and K model designations continued.
1966 Chevy Truck
Similar to the 1964 and 1965 trucks, 1966 marked the final year for this body style of Chevy truck. The 1966 model introduced the optional 327 V8 engine and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission. Side emblems remained rectangular but now featured the Bow Tie on top and the series designation (10, 20, 30) on the bottom. C and K model designations continued.
1967 Chevy Truck
1967 saw the introduction of a completely new body style for Chevrolet trucks, a design that would become iconic, especially through the 1970s Chevy truck models. The grille featured two wide rectangular openings with surround trim and a Bow Tie emblem in the center. “CHEVROLET” lettering was placed across the front of the hood. GMC models for 1967 featured a different grille design with one vertical and one horizontal bar crossing between dual headlights and “GMC” letters in the center.
Fenders and bedsides lacked side marker lamps in 1967. Park lights were mounted in the lower rectangular grille opening. A small rear window was standard, with a big back window optional. Fleetside beds now had steel floors as standard, with a wood floor optional. Stepside beds retained wood floors with steel skid strips. CST equipped trucks featured lower bright trim at the lower body line. 1967 was the last year for the optional 283ci engine. Fender emblems consisted of a Bow Tie on top with the truck series designation (10, 20, 30) below. A hand-operated parking brake was used. New model designations were introduced, with C for 2WD and K for 4WD, followed by engine codes (E for V8, S for 6 cylinder) and model codes.
1968 Chevy Truck
The 1968 Chevy truck was very similar to the 1967 model. The small back window was discontinued, making the big back window standard. Side marker lamps were added to the front fenders and rear bedsides to comply with new safety regulations. Some CST equipped trucks featured upper side trim in addition to the lower trim, and CSTs also had bright trim surrounding the front grille and headlamp area. On GMC models, the letters were moved from the grille to the front of the hood.
1968 saw the introduction of optional 307 and 396 cubic inch engines. Fender emblems and model/engine codes remained similar to 1967.
1969 Chevy Truck
The 1969 Chevy truck received a new one-piece anodized aluminum grille design with a center bar extending to and surrounding the headlamps. The plastic grille insert featured a tightly spaced horizontal and vertical crosshatch pattern. “CHEVROLET” letters were embossed across the center of the grille, with park lamps mounted at either end of the lettering. A Bow Tie emblem was mounted on the front of the hood.
Fender emblems now stated the series number and model, such as “CST/10”. Engine displacement emblems were also mounted below fender emblems on trucks equipped with optional engines. 1969 was the first year for the 350 cubic inch engine. Deluxe equipped trucks had optional upper and lower side body trim, Custom trucks had black banded lower trim, and CST trucks had woodgrain banded lower trim. A foot-operated parking brake was introduced, and 1969 was also the first year for the Chevy Blazer. Model and engine codes remained consistent.
1970 Chevy Truck
The 1970 Chevy truck model year is very similar to 1969. The most noticeable difference is the grille. While the grille shape is similar to 1969, the plastic grille insert now features twelve groups of four short horizontal fins, arranged in six stacks above the center bar and six stacks below. 1970 marked the introduction of the optional 402 cubic inch engine and the first year that all engines were equipped with emission controls. Model and engine codes remained the same.
1971 Chevy Truck
The 1971 Chevy truck, part of the popular 1970s Chevy truck lineup, featured a redesigned grille. The new grille consisted of a large anodized aluminum surround encompassing the entire grille area with an egg-crate rectangular pattern plastic insert. A Bow Tie emblem was placed in the center of the grille. GMC models also received a slightly redesigned grille. 1971 marked the introduction of standard front wheel disc brakes, a significant upgrade.
Top-of-the-line models were now designated “Cheyenne,” and most deluxe and Cheyenne models featured a two-tone paint scheme. Park lamps were relocated to the front bumper. 1971 was the last year for the inside rearview mirror bracket to be screwed above the windshield. Model and engine codes were unchanged.
1972 Chevy Truck
1972 was the final year of this beloved Chevy truck body style, a favorite among 1970s Chevy truck enthusiasts. 1972 models are often difficult to distinguish from 1971 without checking serial numbers. The most noticeable change was the inside rearview mirror, which was now glued to the windshield, similar to modern vehicles.
Subtle interior changes were also introduced, including fabric and door panel designs. Model and engine codes remained consistent with previous years. The 1972 Chevy truck represents the culmination of this design era, highly sought after by collectors and restorers alike.
More History & Project Examples
Over the years, Classic Industries’ Retail Showroom has welcomed numerous classic pickups and SUVs. We often document these customer builds to showcase the diverse history of Chevy trucks. For inspiration for your own project, explore our previous article, Truck Restoration: 5 Chevy & GMC Builds.
To delve deeper into the history of other classic Chevy vehicles, check out our other articles.
Looking for Chevy Truck Parts?
The 1960-72 Chevy truck series, including the iconic 1970s Chevy truck models, is a prime candidate for restoration. Finding the correct replacement parts is essential for any successful restoration. These classic Chevy trucks often face issues like body damage, rust, missing components, and worn-out mechanical parts. Classic Industries provides a comprehensive selection of parts and accessories for Chevy and GMC trucks from 1947 through 2008. Browse our extensive online catalog or request a free full-color parts catalog by clicking the button below to begin your restoration journey.
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