The Auto Advisor Group: CHEVROLET CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

Chevrolet recently announced the nationwide rollout of the Truck Legends program, an exclusive community for those who have made Chevrolet Trucks some of the most iconic vehicles in America. The program recognizes the customers who own a Chevy Truck with more than 100,000 miles on the odometer or who have purchased or leased more than one new Chevy truck in their lifetime.

Qualifying customers will join an active community that has grown to more than 5,400 members since its launch in Texas in September 2016. The community will continue to grow and connect customers from all corners of the nation through their shared love for Chevy Trucks.

“We had an incredible response to the Truck Legends pilot program, and greatly appreciate the owners who have shared their stories,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Trucks Marketing director. “We look forward to hearing from customers across the country, and for the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to our most loyal customers.”

100 Years of Building the Future

The national launch of the Chevy Truck Legends program coincides with the Chevy Trucks Centennial, occurring in the 2018 model year. Chevrolet will begin the Chevy Truck Centennial celebration at the State Fair of Texas, and the festivities will culminate with a Centennial Celebration at the Texas Motor Speedway on Dec. 16, 2017.

“The lasting legacy of Chevy Trucks simply would not be possible without the support of our customers,” said Piszar. “As such, we are expanding the Truck Legends program nationwide to invite customers from all 50 states to join in our Centennial Celebration.”

Membership has its benefits

Chevrolet will periodically offer Truck Legends members once-in-a-lifetime experiences leveraging Chevrolet’s partnerships. These experiences could range from front-row seats at concerts, to attending sold-out Major League Baseball events, to getting a sneak peek at new Chevrolet models.

For example, members are invited to join an exclusive Chevy Trucks Centennial Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The event will feature opportunities to experience the latest Chevrolet products, the chance to meet Chevrolet fans like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other exclusive experiences. A limited number of Chevy truck owners are welcome to attend the event — stay tuned for more information.

Truck Legends members will receive exclusive Truck Legends memorabilia. This includes Chevy Truck Legends branded hats, decals and, if applicable, decals celebrating milestones in mileage and number of vehicles owned. In addition, participating dealers may offer exclusive benefits to Truck Legends members.

The event is free to attend, but space is limited. Details on how to register for the program can be found at http://www.Chevy TruckLegends.com.

Qualifications for membership

The Truck Legends program is free to join for individuals who have more than 100,000 miles on their Chevrolet truck or have purchased or leased one or more new Chevy trucks in their lifetime. Eligible vehicles include:

Silverado and Silverado HD (and past C/K trucks)
Colorado (and past S-10 trucks)
Tahoe
Suburban
Avalanche

Eligible customers can sign up for the program by creating a profile at http://www.ChevyTruckLegends.com.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value.

The 2018 Chevrolet Silverado Centennial Edition.

It’s coming up on 100 years since some Chevy workers cobbled together a handful of parts to create the One-Ton, the bowtie brands first pickup truck, and the Detroit automaker is launching a 100-day celebration to mark the centennial.

The festivities include the debut of two special-edition models, Centennial Edition versions of both the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Silverado trucks. Among other things, the two models get a variety of nice touches, such as chrome trim, tow hooks and mirror caps. They also showcase various versions of the familiar bowtie logo Chevy has used over the years.

“The Chevy Trucks Centennial is a huge milestone for us,” said the brand’s truck marketing and advertising chief Sandor Piszar. “It’s important that we share this celebration with our loyal customers who have helped us achieve this accomplishment.”

Chevy’s centennial comes just months after arch-rival Ford Motor Co. marked the 100-year anniversary of its first pickup.

The original Chevrolet One-Ton was one of the industry's first true pick-up trucks.

No one seems to know precisely where the term “pickup” came from, and there’s also some debate over who developed the first automobile that could fit the category. Historians note that Studebaker used the term in 1913, the same year Galion Allsteel Body Company started installing boxes on the box of stripped down Ford Model T chasses. It began modifying Ford’s own Model TT truck in 1917.

Whatever the origins, pickups quickly became popular in the American market. In more recent years, sales of full-size trucks alone have been running in the 12% range, with compact models bringing the total to 15%, or 2.7 million, last year.

Sales have continued gaining ground in 2017, along with the overall light truck market. And some analysts anticipate demand could surge sharply in the coming months due both to the number of vehicles destroyed by recent hurricanes and because of the demand for work trucks as massive repairs in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico move forward.

Chevrolet has sold a wide range of trucks over the last century, and its best-seller, the Silverado dates back to 1987. The name originally appeared as a version of the old Chevy C/K line, but has since been used for all of the maker’s full-size models.

The Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition.

It’s come a long way from Chevy’s original One-Ton model. That original truck was powered by a 36-horsepower, four-cylinder engine capable of hitting a top speed of 25 mph. Today, the Chevrolet Silverado is offered with a variety of engine options, including the 420 horsepower 6.2-liter EcoTec V-8 and the 445 hp 6.6-liter Duramax diesel.

As for the Colorado, parent General Motors briefly exited the midsize pickup segment earlier this decade, coming back with both the well-reviewed Colorado and the near-twin GMC Canyon. The midsize segment, on the whole, has been in the midst of an unexpected turnaround after years of decline.

As for the two Centennial Editions, they’re the “result of collaboration between Chevrolet Design, Engineering and Marketing, to commemorate the history of Chevy Trucks,” said Rich Scheer, Chevrolet Trucks director of Exterior Design. “Both vehicles offer our most enthusiastic fans a way to demonstrate their love for Chevy Trucks and celebrate the Chevy Trucks Centennial with us.”

Among other things, they both get those added details, larger wheels and distinctive Centennial Blue paint. The Silverado Centennial Edition will be available on the LTZ Z71 crew cab model, the Colorado Centennial Edition on Z71 crew and extended cab models.

SOME OF THE HISTORIC CHEVROLETS