The Best American Pickup Trucks Ever, Ranked In Order

The Most Iconic Classic American Pickup Trucks - ManMadeDIY
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The Most Iconic Classic American Pickup Trucks
Frank Exslager in
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4/20/26
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It's fair to say that pickup trucks have come an incredibly long way from their humble beginnings. Back in the early 1900s, they were seen as nothing more than workhorses. Then, automakers began paying more attention to the styling, adding modern comfort and luxury features, and experimenting with different body configurations all to shape the trucks that we know today.
Check out some of the best classic American pickup trucks. There's a great mix of some of the most iconic ones, as well as the under-the-radar trucks that are often overlooked.
Dodge Ram SRT-10
National Motor Museum/Heritage Images via Getty Images
2004 saw the introduction of a hardcore, high-performance pickup truck built by Dodge. The Dodge Ram SRT-10 pays homage to souped-up trucks of the past, and it is perhaps the best high-performance pickup of the 2000s.
What's the recipe for the ultimate muscle truck? Fit the pickup truck with Viper's 8.3L V10 powerplant. In effect, the supercharged Dodge Ram SRT-10 peaks at 510 horsepower. A sprint to 60 miles per hour takes just 5.2 seconds. The Ram SRT-10 was only available with a manual transmission.
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NAPCO Chevrolet and GMC Trucks
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Mr.Choppers/wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
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With the debut of the Power Wagon in 1946, Dodge has skyrocketed in front of its competitors. Chevrolet desperately had to create the alternative for the innovative four-wheel-drive Power Wagon and headed to NAPCO for help. The company began building four-wheel-drive Power Kits that would turn regular Chevrolet pickup trucks into capable 4WD machines.
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By 1956, NAPCO Power Kits became a factory-installed option that was fitted directly on the truck's assembly lines. Today, NAPCO Chevrolet pickup trucks are highly sought-after by collectors
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Ford Model TT
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Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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The Ford Model TT is the oldest pickup truck on this list. In fact, the Model TT is the first civilian pickup truck ever made. Apart from shaping the automotive industry, Henry Ford is also responsible for creating the world's first pickup truck.
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A brand new Ford Model TT would cost just $600 dollars back in 1917, which is equivalent to around $12 000 today. The truck did not come with any bed installed. Instead, the owner could make his own truck bed or order one from a contractor. That way, the Model TT remained extremely versatile and could be tailored to the owners' individual needs.
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Jeep Gladiator
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CZmarlin/Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
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Although Jeep has revived the Gladiator nameplate for the 2020 model year, the original one was released all the way back in the 1960s. Unlike its modern cousin, the original Jeep Gladiator was only available in a 2-door cab configuration. Interestingly, the automaker dropped the Gladiator moniker in 1971 and simply referred to the truck as the Jeep Pickup.
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The Jeep Gladiator was available with a variety of powerplants. The base model came fitted with a 232 cubic inch 3.8L flat-six. The large 401 cubic inch 6.6L V8 was the most powerful engine variant available for the Gladiator.
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Dodge Ram- Cummins
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Mr.choppers/Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
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After the release of the first-generation Dodge Ram, the pickup truck was in desperate need of an update. After all, the Dodge Ram was essentially a refreshed Dodge D-Series, a platform that dated back to the 1970s. Dodge had to find a way to increase sales of the Ram, and the Cummins Turbo Diesel powerplant was the answer.
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Dodge released the Cummins-powered Dodge Ram in 1989. Unlike its competitors, the 5.9L Cummins was a flat-six turbocharged powerplant and not a V8. The heavy-duty variant of the Ram proved to be a great success, as Dodge saw an increase in sales for the first time.
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Ford Flathead V8
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Eric Rickman/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images
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Only 15 years after releasing the first-ever civilian pickup truck, the Ford Motor Company revolutionized the automotive market yet again. The newly-unveiled 1932 Ford Flathead V8 was the first pickup truck to be fitted with an eight-cylinder engine. Little did they know that the V8 motor would remain a favorite motor choice among enthusiasts for decades to come.
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The Ford Flathead V8 was fitted with a 3.6L V8 motor under the hood. The engine produced 65 horsepower. Note that the Flathead photographed above is a modified unit.
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Chevrolet El Camino SS 454
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Dünzlullstein bild via Getty Images
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Although Chevrolet's legendary El Camino had been around since the late 1950s, its most iconic variant was introduced for the third-generation. The El Camino SS fitted with the big block 454 cubic inch V8 motor was highly sought-after essentially from day one. The powerful El Camino SS 454 has remained one of America's greatest muscle cars of all time.
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The El Camino SS 454 is powered by an enormous big-block 7.4L V8 that produces over 450 horsepower. In effect, the powerful El Camino could finish a quarter-mile sprint in only around 13 seconds. The 454-powered El Camino is highly sought-after by collectors today, due to low production numbers.
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Ford F-Series (3rd Generation)
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The iconic second-generation of the Ford F-Series was replaced by its successor for the 1957 model year. The exterior styling was refreshed, and the iconic wraparound windshield remained on the small truck. Gone were the wide front fenders in favor of smoother, clean lines.
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The stylish third-generation Ford F-Series became a hit nearly overnight. Today, the F-100 built between 1957 and 1960 is just as sought-after as its predecessor. Ultimately, the small F-100 was dropped in 1983 in favor of the Ford Bronco.
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Dodge Brothers Merchants Express
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Greg Gjerdingen/Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
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Contrary to popular belief, the Dodge brothers never made their own pickup truck. Although the 1929 Merchants Express was built by the Dodge Brothers company, the automaker had already been acquired by Chrysler by then. What's more, the two Dodge brothers had died in the early 1920s. Nevertheless, the Merchants Express can be considered the grandfather of the RAM trucks of today.
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The Merchants Express came powered by a four-cylinder powerplant that peaked at 45 horsepower. Back in its day, the Dodge Brothers Merchants Express was a stylish, modern, and innovative pickup truck.
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Chevrolet Half-Ton
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Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
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Chevrolet has also had its fair share of innovative, revolutionary pickup trucks. The Chevrolet Half-Ton, first introduced for the 1938 model year, was one of the trucks that defined the pickup truck industry for decades to come. The small 2-door truck was powered by a flat-six motor. The Half-Ton was praised for its durability, much like the other vehicles produced by Chevrolet at the time.
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The Half-Ton was one of the first pickup trucks on the market that was made to be more than just a workhorse. Chevy's pickup featured its own, stylish design that had never been seen on a truck before.
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Chevrolet C/K (2nd Generation)
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Sicnag/Wikimedia Commons/Wikipedia
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The Chevrole…

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