In the American car landscape, pickups are the dominant category, meaning enthusiasts know a lot about popular models. Over the last century, many more trucks have been produced and sold in the USA, and they have never achieved mainstream success, but they are still worth looking at. There are 10 forgotten pickups that few people know about and are impossible to find.
1. Datsun 120/220
The first Japanese compact truck was the Datsun 120, introduced in 1955. Datsun was a famous Japanese manufacturer of economy models that later became Nissan. Immediately after the war, Japan needed light delivery vehicles. So, most car companies started producing three-wheeled Kei cars and vehicles based on motorcycle technology. Those small, light, and nimble pickups weren’t real trucks. So, in 1955, Datsun produced the 120, which was the first real compact truck.
They based it on their 120 Sedan model by transforming the rear end into a truck bed. Under the hood was a diminutive 860-cc engine delivering just 25 HP. The payload and towing capacity were not great, but by Japanese standards in the 1950s, the Datsun 120 Pickup did the job.
2. Chevrolet Cameo
Before the 1955 to 1958 Chevrolet Cameo, pickups had a step-side design in the truck bed. This means that beds were made with sculpted rear fenders and often with wooden sides. This production method dates back to the first trucks from the early 1920s. However, as one of the most prominent pickup manufacturers in the U.S.A., Chevrolet introduced the fleetside truck bed in its new 1955 model.
The fleetside construction was revolutionary in many ways. First, the truck bed looked more elegant because it was flush with the cabin’s lines and the truck’s whole design. Second, the fleetside design allowed for the use of the maximum width of the truck bed, making the truck more capable of carrying a wider load. Third, the innovative construction was more durable and stronger than ever before.
3. Chevrolet 490 Series Half-Ton Pickup
Chevrolet introduced the Half-Ton Pickup in 1918, based on the new 490 Sedan. The Half-Ton was the first specially designed pickup in the world. This means that Chevrolet intended to present this model as a light-duty delivery vehicle rather than just as a chopped-off sedan.
Also, the power came from a four-cylinder engine, which was standard in the range. Interestingly, this pioneering truck came from the factory without the body. Customers were supposed to buy their own cabin and truck bed according to their needs. Chevrolet sold a running chassis with the engine, transmission, wheels, hood, and fenders, and then buyers looked for the rest.
4. Dodge D-Series Dude
The Dude was a regular D Series truck with a few essential features. It had bucket seats, a tachometer, an improved interior, and lively colors. But the best thing was the powerful 383 V8 engine that came standard with over 300 HP, providing significant performance. However, the feature the Dude is most famous for is the big black “C” stripe on the sides.
It was reminiscent of Dodge’s muscle cars of the period. The Dude is also interesting for being the first special edition truck that older guys welcomed and the younger people who were into muscle cars and performance. Also, this model proved to be influential as one of the first special versions that later evolved into separate models.
5. Chevrolet El Camino SS 454
The Chevrolet El Camino was conceived as a half-car/half-truck vehicle for carrying light loads, delivery duty, and useful tools for small business owners. Most of them lived their lives exactly like that. But in 1970, Chevrolet introduced the wildest El Camino of all, the El Camino SS 454.
The mighty 454 V8 LS6 was a 7.4-liter Chevrolet big-block engine with an official rating of 450 hp. In reality, the engine delivered around 500 hp and was a fire-breathing beast—one of the best engines of the muscle car era. In the El Camino SS, this engine provided significant performance figures that were close to those of the best regular muscle cars of the day.
6. Kaiser Jeep M715
This interesting vehicle is primarily a military truck, but a few were sold to civilian customers. Based on the Jeep Gladiator pickup, the Jeep M715 was introduced in the late ’60s and produced for the US Army.
The engine was a dependable and strong six-cylinder with just 130 HP, but much torque was needed to move this 3-ton truck. The M715 was built to be easy to service and highly durable, which it proved in the Vietnam War and several other conflicts. Kaiser Jeep produced over 30,000 of them until 1969.
7. Mercury M-Series
While most remember Ford pickups from the post-war years, few recall that Mercury also had its own line of trucks sold in Canada—the Mercury M-Series. Built from 1946 to 1968, these were essentially rebadged Ford F-Series models aimed at dealers who didn’t sell Ford but still wanted to offer pickups.
Mechanically identical to Ford trucks of the era, the M-Series featured slightly different grilles, trim pieces, and badging. Although they never officially sold in the U.S., Mercury trucks hold a special place in Canadian automotive history. They are prized among collectors today for their rarity and unique styling cues.
8. Plymouth PT105
The PT105 was Plymouth’s attempt to break into the truck market in the late 1930s. Introduced in 1937, the PT105 was essentially a Dodge truck under the skin but wore Plymouth branding. It featured sleek Art Deco styling and a reliable flathead six-cylinder engine.
Although it was never a major commercial success—mainly due to the strength of Dodge’s truck lineup—the PT105 showed that Plymouth could build a handsome, dependable truck. Today, surviving models are rare and sought after by collectors who appreciate pre-war design and originality.
9. Hudson Super Six Pickup
Most people know the Hudson brand for its sleek coupes and race-winning sedans, but in the late 1940s, Hudson also built pickups—specifically the Super Six-based truck. These trucks combined Hudson’s car-like handling and styling with practical utility.
The most distinctive feature was the “step-down” design—an innovation that gave Hudson cars a lower center of gravity. That same engineering made its way into the pickup, which gave it a smooth, comfortable ride. Production numbers were low, and the Hudson pickups were among the rarest American trucks of their era.
10. Powell Truck
The Powell Sport Wagon is one of the strangest and most fascinating trucks to emerge from post-WWII America. Built between 1954 and 1957 in California by Powell Manufacturing, the Powell Truck was based on a 1941 Plymouth sedan chassis and used recycled parts to create a unique utility vehicle.
One of its quirkiest features was the tubular carrier that slid into the rear fender—a sort of early take on built-in storage. Powered by Plymouth’s inline-six engine, the Powell wasn’t fast or refined but sturdy, affordable, and innovative. With fewer than 1,200 produced, surviving examples are highly collectible oddities today.