13. Chevrolet 490 Series Half-Ton Pickup
Chevrolet introduced the Half-Ton Pickup in 1918 based on the new 490 Sedan. In fact, the Half-Ton was the first special-design 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.
The power came from a four-cylinder engine which was standard. Interestingly, this pioneering truck came from the factory without the body. Customers could 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 the buyers ordered the rest.
In those days, there were many local body shops that provided services that produced open or closed trucks per the customer’s specifications. Some trucks even had a few bodies that drivers could switch for different applications.