The truck blogs lit up on September 17, when word spread that Consumer Reports had named the Chevy Silverado 1500 its “top-rated truck.” This is another nod for the ’14 Silverado, which has received recognition for its safety rating, fuel economy and all-around performance. But despite all this attention, the Silverado may still have some secrets. Read on to see if you know these five facts about the Silverado.
Chevy started using the Silverado name in 1975. Although the Silverado truck didn’t appear on the market until 1998, Chevy began using the Silverado name in 1975. Back then, “Silverado” referred to a trim package on the C/K pickup and the Suburban. A C/K Silverado was the top of the line and featured flashy metal work on the exterior[i]. When Chevy retired the C/K in 1999, the Silverado as we know it today took its place in the line-up.
Chevy dropped the Silverado slogan “Like a Rock” in 2004 in favor of a campaign called “An American Revolution.”[ii] The “Like a Rock” campaign, based on a Bob Seger song, ran for 14 years and was enormously popular. The song even made its way into the news again earlier this year. Just last April, Bob Seger announced that he would start playing “Like a Rock” again during live shows. Seger had not played the song live for almost 30 years[iii].
Former NFL star Howie Long once appeared in a 28-minute infomercial about the Silverado. The infomercial was part of Chevy’s “Our Country. Our Truck” campaign, which used “Our Country” by John Mellencamp as its theme song[iv]. The commercials that featured the Mellencamp song subsequently inspired a handful of YouTube parodies.
Canada once ordered a military version of the 2003 Silverado, called the Milverado. The official name of the Milverado is MILCOTS, which stands for Militarized Commercial Off-The-Shelf[v].
The Boston Herald touted the ‘14 Silverado 1500 crew cab as a family car[vi]. The Herald’s reviewer took the Silverado to the beach with three kids. Size and driving comfort were factors in his conclusion that the Silverado functions well as a family car.
Long associated with American values and performance on the job, the Silverado is among the country’s best-selling vehicles. The ’14 model year adds an improved safety profile to the mix, making this truck a versatile option for families too.
If you’d like to learn more about the new Silverado, we hope you’ll turn to us at Mountain View Chevrolet for help. We have the 2014 Chevy Silverado for sale now in our Upland showroom. Mountain View Chevrolet is a community-oriented car dealer with the best selection, lease offers and finance deals you’ll find anywhere in and around Los Angeles. Our service team works on all makes and models too. Learn more about Mountain View Chevrolet at www.mountainviewchevrolet.com or call us at 888-9-Next Car.
Source: