What makes an iconic pickup truck? Does this truck need to provide incredible performance features or help maintain brand presence in the market?
The size and ruggedness of the American landscape have made it a country where pickup trucks are some of the most popular vehicles to drive. These iconic models showed what automakers could create with these amazing work vehicles.
Here are several iconic pickup trucks that remind us of just how good a truck can be.
2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10
What Makes It Iconic: Dodge Viper 8.3-liter V10 engine
The 2004 Dodge Ram SRT-10 pickup truck is imaginative and creative but wasn’t as useful as most trucks. The Viper engine enabled the SRT-10 to be the fastest full-size truck in production at the time.
Pros
- 5.3-second sprint to 60 mph
- 500 horsepower
- 150 mph top speed
Cons
- The clutch wasn’t made for the Viper engine
- Cold starts are challenging
- Poor Fuel economy numbers
This Dodge Ram was a great option for owners looking for a fast truck for some fun driving as long as they didn’t need a truck to actually do truck stuff. The SRT-10 was fast and impressive, but it wasn’t made for towing or carrying heavy loads, which is what most truck owners look for in a pickup.
199 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning
What Makes It Iconic: Supercharged Triton V-8 Engine
The 1999 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning was reborn for a second generation after leaving the market for a few years. This second attempt at a high-powered truck was exciting and sold more than double the number of trucks from the first generation.
Pros
- Incredible truck power – 360 hp, 440 lb-ft
- 5,000-pound towing capacity
- 0-60 MPH in only 6.2 seconds
Cons
- Lacks maneuverability on par with the speed
- Lower-powered F-150s tow more weight
- Lacks off-road capabilities
The Lightning name is usually mentioned when the thought of iconic, powerful, and fast trucks comes up. However, this name is now used for an electric pickup, so it’s hard to get the impressive, supercharged Triton engine off the mind of those who understand what this truck brings to the drive.
1992 GMC Syclone
What Makes It Iconic: Corvette Engine For Insane Truck Speed
Love it or hate it, the 1991 GMC Syclone is one of the hottest small pickup trucks ever made, and it set the trend for many others to follow. This high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma midsize truck featured a lowered stance, performance suspension, and a powerful engine.
Pros
- 0-60 MPH sprint in 4.5 seconds
- Quickest midsize truck
- 4WD system
Cons
- Made for speed, not for truck stuff
- 4-speed automatic transmission
- Mostly a parts bin build
The GMC Syclone brought real speed to the road with full-time 4WD that sent 35 percent of the torque to the front wheels and the remaining 65 percent to the rear. Toss in the limited-slip differential in the rear, and you’ve got a small truck that rockets off the line.
1989 Dodge Ram Cummins Turbodiesel
What Makes It Iconic: The Cummins Diesel Engine
Dodge struggled mightily to sell trucks in the 1980s, giving them a slight edge. How do you have an edge during a struggle? When you have nothing to lose, trying anything and everything is easy. The 1989 Dodge Ram Cummins Turbodiesel became the first American pickup with a heavy-duty turbocharged diesel engine.
Pros
- 5.9-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel 6-cylinder engine
- Revolutionized towing and fuel mileage
- Started a new era in the three-quarter and one-ton truck market
Cons
- Dodge was nearly dead in the 1980s truck market
- Weak automatic transmission
- An abundance of rust issues
The power output from the Cummins engine was 160 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque, which revolutionized towing and fuel mileage in the heavy-duty truck class. This impressive Dodge could pull up to 11,900 pounds, making it one of the strongest trucks of its time.
1925 Ford Model T Runabout with Pickup Body
What Makes It Iconic: It Was The First Pickup Truck
The first of anything has to be iconic, and the 1925 Ford Model T Runabout with the pickup body was the first real pickup truck. This truck could handle a medium-sized load of produce or equipment and was ideal for farmers to bring their wares into town.
Pros
- Relatively low cost of $281 at the time
- 38,000 models sold in the first year
- Top speed of 45 mph (quick for the time)
Cons
- It’s a truck built on the Model T chassis
- Lack of safety and comfort features
- Small cargo area compared to horse-drawn wagons
The Ford Model T was an amazing vehicle, made affordable because of the assembly line and interchangeable parts that made it possible for nearly every American to own one. The Pickup body made perfect sense, with nearly 35 percent of the population still living on farms.
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