The 57 Chevy truck traces its roots back many, many years. In fact, it goes all the way back to the start of the 1900s!
The first Chevy pickup truck went on sale in 1918. It was produced by William Durant and Louis Chevrolet. The couple had begun selling Chevrolet cars in 1911 and at this time were not part of the General Motors Company. What is interesting to note is the fact that Durant had previously headed up GM but was fired, as he was not considered suitable to run such an organisation!
The Famous Chevy "Bowtie"
The Chevy "bowtie" logo was first used in 1913 and there is much speculation as to the inspiration behind this design. Some say it was based on a wallpaper design that Durant had seen in a French hotel and liked, others that it was based on a logo for Coalettes, and the final contender is one based around a Swiss cross, as Chevrolet's parent hailed from Switzerland.
Between 1916 and 1918 Chevrolet had become so successful that they were able to buy a sizeable amount of shares in general motors, they merged with them and Durant was back as head of the company that had previously ousted him. Speculation abounds that this was always part of his master plan, and never far from his mind.
In the early years of the pickup, customers who bought a Chevrolet truck walked away with a chassis and cowl. They then had to source their own cab and body and would often build their own. This was worlds and light years away from the 1957 Chevy truck that eventually became the darling of the automobile industry.
