1937 Chevrolet Half-Ton Pickup

As the U.S. economy began to recover from the Great Depression, Chevrolet pushed for leadership in a reviving truck market with some of its strongest, most innovative, and "modern" models yet produced.

The Chevrolet Pickup for 1934 was designed from the ground up to withstand the rigors of truck service. Prior half-ton models were built on chassis adapted from passenger-car designs.

During 1935, Chevrolet introduced the Suburban Carryall, built on a half-ton chassis. This truck wagon could carry up to eight people, or a crew and all of their gear, just about any-where there was a road. Its durable steel body made the new model easier to maintain than the wood-bodied station wagons of the period. With the Suburban Carryall, Chevrolet essentially invented the SUV.

For 1937, Chevrolet introduced new trucks with streamlined styling that many still consider the best designs of the era. The '37 also featured a sturdier body and a larger and more powerful 78-horsepower engine, among other improvements.

A 1937 Chevrolet half-ton pickup was sent on a grueling 10,245-mile drive around the States monitored by the American Automobile Association. Carrying a 1,060-pound load, the truck averaged 20.74 miles per gallon.