Our love affair with GMC trucks continues.
Hindsight is always 20/20, meaning it’s easy to pick and choose the best of the past. But sometimes things that are worthy of praise get overlooked, and even the things that are rightfully praised get forgotten as we rocket toward whatever delusions we may have about the future. So in an attempt to give due praise to a company that’s been around since 1911, helped win WWII, and built a truck faster than a Ferrari, we want to revisit a few of the coolest GMCs in history.
1909 — one-ton Rapid (soon to be GMC) six-passenger vehicle
The first Rapid Motor Vehicle Company — the company that William Durant would later purchase and rebadge as GMC — was built in 1902. In 1909, they built the one-ton Rapid six-passenger vehicle, and they proved how capable, reliable, and well-built it was by driving it up Pikes Peak.
1912 — GMC offered battery-powered trucks with half-ton to six-ton capacity
In total, 173 electric trucks were produced by GMC in 1912, and that accounts for approximately 39.8 percent of all the GMCs produced that year. However, by 1917, only one electric GMC was produced.
1927 — T-40 two-ton GMC
In 1927, famous race driver E.G. “Cannon Ball” Baker drove a loaded model 40 GMC from New York to San Fransisco in less than six days, setting a truck speed record. Remember, that was before the interstate system was built.
1943 — GMC 6×6 Amphibious Duck
Officially called the DUKW353, the Duck was built by GMC in conjunction with naval architects Sparkman and Stevens. The amphibious truck saw action in the Pacific Theatre of WWII, with operations in North Africa, Italy, and the invasion of Normandy. President Dwight D. Eisenhower famously included the DUKW353 in the list of six machines that contributed most to winning WWII.
1964 — The GMC Handibus
GMC’s answer to the VW microbus, the Handibus also came in a tradesman’s trim called the Handivan.
1971 — GMC Sprint
The new GMC Sprint shared a lot of its characteristics with the Chevrolet El Camino, including a GM A-body frame.
1991 — GMC S15 Syclone
The 1991 GMC Syclone is the performance truck that famously left the Ferrari 348ts in the dust. Its turbocharged 4.3L V6 sent gobs of power through all four wheels, slingshotting the truck ahead of its unsuspecting victims. By today’s standards, the truck is still considered very fast.
What are your thoughts? Did we miss any? If so, let us know in the comments below!
