Here’s a cool Chevy C10 pickup that came from the 1960s, was built in Brazil and Argentina into the 1980s and was never sold in the US. These unique Chevy trucks were all over South America and can still be seen from time to time today. It’s a shame we can’t get them here. Why GM deemed it necessary to manufacture a unique truck for Brazil has been lost to time. Maybe a larger, full-size pickup like the US version was considered too large to sell in South America? It’s hard to know.

What we do know is that these have a great retro look. Plus, Chevy made quite a variety of different versions. One could get the regular cab/bed called “Chassi Curto,” a crew cab with a shorty bed called the “Cabina Dupla,” and the long-bed pickup called “Chassi Longo.” 

There was also a Suburban version called the “Veraneio.” The body features a wild falling design line running through the body and a funky upper with a B-pillar looking rather strange. It also has a shelf at the rear similar to the 1960s Chevy pickup tops.

South American Chevy Produced 1964-1984

First appearing in 1964, the truck ran through 1984 for a 20-year run. The pickup that replaced it looked very similar to a Chevy S-10. And, the Veraneio lasted through 1988. The grilles changed every few years but the basic Veraneio remained the same.

Power came from the reliable straight-six “stove bolt” engine that was powering Chevys since back in the 1920s. As it was updated in the US, then Brazil also received the latest version. A fuel-injected version came out in the 1990s and lasted through 1998 before being replaced with a more modern V6 engine.

A three-speed manual “three-on-the-tree” was the only transmission available. As you would expect the interiors were fairly spartan but not more so than its US counterparts. 

We know a few of these pickups have been spotted in the US as have a few Veraneios. Looking at current Brazillian used car dealer ads there are a few for sale. Whether the Us allows these to be registered without a huge hassle is unknown. With the new law allowing imported cars 25-years and older not being required to pass US safety regulations, it may be a fairly easy process.

At any rate, these South American Chevy trucks are really great looking and would be quite a novelty at a car or truck show.