I would think most of us have, at some point or another, had a Chevrolet truck owning neighbor. Nothing extraordinary, nor unusual about that. But what I would think most of us haven’t had, is a four Chevy truck owning neighbor. And here’s one in the town of El Cerrito, showing such devotion in full display by his home’s curbside and driveway.
So if you have a fondness for these second generation C/K trucks, this sight should speak to you.
I won’t deny I’m a fan of the looks of these ’67-’72 models. So, while four in the same household may seem excessive, I wholly approve of this set up. After all, these second gen C/Ks had a truly modern look; purposeful, yet stylish in their clean and uncluttered lines. It was quite a design triumph, and it’s no wonder their styling genes found their way into Chevy trucks for ages to come.
Now, it ain’t easy to capture three C/Ks in a row (good thing the fourth is on the driveway). For one, they occupy a lot of space. Then, the high contrast late afternoon California light didn’t help matters either (and moving that Civic out of the way would have helped too).
Here’s the best shot I got, courtesy of my cell phone’s wide angle lens. And as can be seen, there’s quite a variety of camper tops on these; some more utilitarian than the others. As for the trucks themselves, they all seem to be ’71-’72 vintage if I recall the grilles correctly.
One more shot of the first pair, still wide angle but slightly less distorted.
Have you got enough of a second generation C/K helping by now? I hope so… after all, how much to take before overdose hits?
Still, I may look up this street once more when I visit California again. Maybe by then, that fourth C/K on the driveway will be back on the streets. I’ve no idea how I’ll capture four C/Ks in a row if that one joins the trio on the street, but that’s a problem I shall worry about then.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1970 Chevy C10 – Fifty-One Years Of Service? No Sweat
Curbside Classic: 1972 Chevy C-10 – The Justified And Ancient Highwayman
Curbside Classic: 1971 Chevrolet K5 Blazer – It Redefined The SUV Genre
What I find amazing that these trucks , fully restored , fetch big dollars at auctions now.
Nice find. And in El Cerrito too, in the heart of great CC territory with Berkeley, Albany, Oakland etc nearby. Oddly, as common as these trucks are, I’ve never had a Chevy truck in my immediate block anywhere I’ve lived as an adult. By my current home, there are several Tacoma’s including mine, two Fords, a Tundra and a Rivian. I have to go two blocks to find any GM product 😀
Yes, great CC territory there on the East Bay. I’m pretty sure I saw a ’60 and a ’61 Polara around the Ashby station as I rode on BART. Hopefully they’ll still be there to be caught on a future visit.
Yes! Love that style. My first pickup was a ’71 C10 short bed, avocado green. It was the most basic, 250ci six, three speed (all synchro), non-power front disc brakes (first year), no rear bumper or spare wheel and radio block-off plate. Best looking dashboard design of any truck, before or since for its simplicity and feeling of open space in the cab.
One in my neighborhood is still a daily driver. That generation was more solid than the previous and next generations.
El Cerrito? Doesn’t surprise me as one can see lots of older vehicles between Oakland and Richmond. Several years ago I had jury duty at the Richmond County Court house. On my way there I passed by a house that had five, yes five, VW Kombi Vans in front. The Court is in a rough part of Richmond and no way I was stopping in the middle of the street to take a picture and be seen.
Wow this is in El Cerrito! When I saw this picture, I first thought it was the same group as I had shot earlier in Berkeley. This was probably peak Chevy/GMC truck, at least until recently, the later 1970’s and 1980’s ones seemed to have trouble either mechanically or with poor-quality interior bits.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake/curbside-congregation-a-bevy-of-chevys-and-a-jimmy-too-two-1969-chevy-c10s-and-a-1971-gmc-2500/