13 Iconic American Pickup Trucks

Pickup trucks are pure Americana. While they may have started out as humble farm trucks and work vehicles, trucks have come a long way since then.

Today, pickup trucks are just as commonly used as recreational and everyday vehicles as they are for work.

Here, we’ll examine some of the most iconic American pickup trucks that changed the automotive landscape forever.

1946 Dodge Power Wagon

The Dodge Power Wagon is essentially a military truck for civilian use, and it’s just as rugged as it looks. It’s one of the vehicles that pioneered modern 4WD systems, which, combined with the big wheels and high ground clearance, it could go practically anywhere.

With a 94hp Flathead inline-6 engine, this workhorse didn’t pack a ton of power, but it would tackle whatever was thrown at it. No wonder it was so popular with farmers and forest workers.

1956 Ford F-100

Ford released the F-100 as the second generation of the legendary F-series trucks. It wasn’t the original and didn’t sell as many units as the later F-150, but the F-100 may just be the best-looking truck Ford has ever made.

Aside from its gorgeous design, the F-100 also ditched the old flathead engine in favor of an OHV V8 that produced as much as 167-hp — an impressive figure for a truck in 1956.

1958 Chevrolet Apache

Part of the Chevrolet Task Force truck series, the 1958 Apache was a light-duty truck and one seriously stylish vehicle. It featured a wrap-around windshield, plenty of curves, and Corvette-inspired quad headlights in the fenders.

This model year was also the first to offer factory-equipped air conditioning, and a  NAPCO “Powr-Pak” four-wheel drive conversion could be ordered from the factory.

1965 Dodge Custom Sport Special

In 1964, Dodge offered a Custom Sport Special package for the D100. It included bucket seats, racing stripes, and other unique features. The upgrade we’re most interested in was found under the hood.

Dodge originally offered the Custom Sport Special with Chrysler’s big 413 V8, but in 1965, it was available with the 365-hp 426 Wedge V8.

1970 Chevrolet El Camino

Chevrolet’s El Camino wasn’t a “proper” pickup truck; it was a ute — using a regular car front section with an integrated bed at the rear. It was the perfect everyday vehicle for farmers, and utes would find massive success in Australia.

In 1970, the El Camino was built on the Chevelle platform, which may be the best muscle car of that year. From the front, it looked like its muscle car sibling, and it was even available with the 454 LS6 engine that delivered a tire-smoking 450 thoroughbred American stallions.

1974 Jeep J10

Jeep dropped the Gladiator name for its pickup in 1971, and it was now just known as the J-series or Jeep truck. In true Jeep fashion, the J10 looked stylish yet rugged, and it had a 401 V8 engine that produced a whopping 330-hp.

Jeep also offered the Honcho package for the sportside and short bed J10, which made the masculine truck look even more badass. It consisted of stripes and decals, and also offered a roll bar.

1978 Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck

By 1978, the Malaise Era had wreaked havoc on the performance car market, reducing it to a shadow of its former self. At that point, an American hero emerged in the form of a pickup truck — the Dodge Li’l Red Express was the fastest domestic vehicle on sale in the States in 1978.

Dodge exploited a loophole in the emissions laws, as pickup trucks didn’t have to adhere to the same strict regulations as cars. Thanks to its 390 V8 engine, the Dodge Li’l Red Express could force the mighty Corvette to eat its dust once the lights turned green.

1990 Chevrolet 454 SS

Based on the popular Chevy C/K series, the 454 SS was a proper muscle truck, just like the Li’l Red Express that ruled the road more than a decade earlier. The 454 SS is somewhat overlooked, and today, an engine with 230-hp and 385 lb-ft of torque isn’t all that impressive.

While it isn’t as iconic as the Ford Lightning or GMC Syclone, it can still be turned into an absolute beast, as teasing out more power from the big V8 is relatively simple with aftermarket performance parts.

1991 GMC Syclone

We’ll be the first to admit that the GMC Syclone was a terrible choice for those looking for a work truck, as it could only haul 500lbs. That completely misses the point of this supercar slayer, though.

Thanks to a turbocharged 4.3-liter V6 engine, the GMC Syclone was a proper high-performance truck that could reach 60 mph in 4.3 seconds from a standstill and had a top speed of 124 mph.

Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford has now turned the F-150 Lightning into an electric pickup truck, which has angered some fans of the original V8-powered Lightning muscle truck. The first generation had a 5.8-liter small block producing 240 all-American horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque, which meant it could keep up with some decent sports cars.

In 1999, Ford introduced the second-generation Lightning, now powered by a supercharged 5.4-liter Triton V8. At launch, it produced 360-hp and 440 lb-ft of torque, which grew to 380 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque in 2001, making it one of the world’s fastest pickup trucks at the time.

Dodge Ram SRT-10

Back in the 2000s, Dodge decided that the 8.3-liter V10 unit that’s usually found under the third-gen Viper’s long hood was perfect for the Ram 1500 truck.

With an astonishing 500-hp, the Dodge Ram SRT-10 offered the performance of a supercar and the practicality of a work truck, and it looked seriously aggressive. No wonder it became such a massive hit. It also drank fuel like it was going out of style, so using it as an actual workhorse would surely eat into company profits.

Ford F-150 Raptor

Ford introduced the F-150 Raptor as a Trophy Truck you can use as a daily driver. It may bear the F-150’s name, but only the cab is the same as the standard F-150. There are three generations of the F-150 Raptor to choose from. The first version had a V8, but Ford switched to a turbocharged six-cylinder for the second generation.

Since enthusiasts can’t seem to agree on which version is best, you’ll be happy to know that Ford has made a standard twin-turbo V6 model and a supercharged V8 Raptor R version for the third generation. The Raptor also has a Fox off-road suspension setup, big, fat tires, and underbody protection, and it can go practically anywhere with the throttle buried.

Ram 1500 TRX

Sadly, the Ram TRX is no longer in production. It’s a shame because what’s not to love about an off-road truck powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 straight out of a muscle car?

With a whopping 702hp and 650 lb-ft of torque sent to all four corners via an 8-speed transmission, the TRX offered all the usability of a regular Ram truck but in a rather ridiculous package designed to annihilate the Ford F-150 Raptor.