Trending Trucks

Americans flirted with trucks and utilities in the late 1980s, but the love affair really got carried away in the ’90s. Today, the traditional family sedan is on the verge of extinction, while crossovers, SUVs, and pickups rule the strip malls of suburbia. We’re now seeing younger enthusiasts, raised in the passenger seats of trucks and SUVs, gravitating nostalgically toward 20- to 25-year-old haulers the way generations of collectors gravitated toward passenger cars of the 1950s and ’60s. With that in mind, here for your consideration — in no particular order — are 10 interesting or influential 1980s and ’90s trucks that we think deserve a little discussion. Some of these haulers are bona fide collectibles, while others are just interesting for the sea change that they brought about. If you’re a fan of this generation of haulers, give us a shout about your favorites at mmcnessor@hemmings.com.

1990-’93 CHEVROLET 454 SS

Price new: $18,000-$21,000

Value today: $15,000-$30,000

Chevrolet fans embraced the concept with open arms: drop a throttle-body injected 454-cu.in. V-8 into a two-wheel-drive, ½-ton, short-bed pickup, then revive the SS moniker (moribund for three years) thus