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Introduction
Chevrolet Silverado -- 2007 First Drive: There are more bumper stickers on the back windows of pickup trucks than on any other type of vehicle. Really – it’s true. People don’t buy trucks, they own trucks, and do so for decades. For automakers, this is key, especially GM. With close to a million Silverados sold every year, changing it is a dicey affair. Get it wrong and sales dry up; get it right and it’s smiles and cigars all around. So light up, GM. From inside the cab to the way the 2007 Silverado drives, this truck is proof that GM is coming on strong. The presence of an aging four-speed automatic and a few other minor issues doesn’t take away from the fact that this is one truck that should serve its masters for many years and many, many happy miles.
Origins
When the voiceover man on the commercial says that the Silverado has been America’s truck for 89 long years, and you’re ready to weep aloud at the thought of a loyal Silverado surviving dust storms and wars...wait…not so fast. The “Silverado” didn’t pop up until 1999. From the 1960s through the 1990s, Chevy trucks were named C/Ks. That adds up to forty-odd years, though Chevy can claim that the company did sell a truck 89 years ago: the 1918 Chevrolet 490 Light Delivery. There’s no relation between then and now. Fact is, today’s truck is part of a new GMT900 line of vehicles from GM, which includes the Chevy Avalanche, Tahoe and Suburban.
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