What Is A Chevy Cheyenne And How Is It Different From The Silverado?

The Chevy Cheyenne was the premiere trim level associated with the latter part of the second-generation Chevrolet C/K lineup of pickup trucks. While the second-gen C/K trucks, also known as the "Action Line," began with the 1967 model year, the iconic Chevrolet Cheyenne trim wasn't introduced until 1971. As the top trim level, the Cheyenne furthered Chevrolet's mission of transforming its pickup trucks from workhorses to vehicles comfortable enough to be driven for fun.

While the introduction of the Cheyenne trim preceded the debut of the third-generation Square Body Chevy truck, it remained available through the C/K's fourth generation. The fourth-gen GMT400 C/K trucks saw payload designations change from C/K10, C/K20, and C/K30 to C/K1500, C/K2500, and C/K3500. The Cheyenne trim was ultimately phased out in the U.S. market in 1999 with the introduction of the Chevy Silverado as a stand-alone model as opposed to its former trim level status.

An all-original, good-condition Chevy C/K pickup is probably worth more than you realize. If it's a fully loaded Cheyenne, it could be worth well into six-figure territory, like the 1972 Chevrolet K10 Cheyenne reported by Classic.com.

While the Chevrolet C/K, and the Cheyenne trim along with it, was succeeded in the United States by the Silverado in 1999, it didn't disappear from Chevrolet's worldwide catalog. It's still alive and well south of the border. In fact, in March of 2022, the Chevy Silverado ZR2 debuted as the Chevy Cheyenne ZR2 in Mexico.

Prior to the Cheyenne ZR2 introduction, Chevrolet sold two versions of its Silverado pickup truck in Mexico, the base Silverado and the up-scale Cheyenne. GM Mexico reported sales figures, shared by GM Authority, show overall sales falling by one percent for the month of January 2022. However, the Silverado and Cheyenne enjoyed a combined 27.58-percent increase in sales for the period. With 489 Silverado and 470 Cheyenne models sold, Chevrolet outperformed segment rivals in the Mexico market.

Like the U.S. market Chevy Silverado ZR2, the Cheyenne ZR2 is an off-road-focused full-size pickup truck. The ZR2 trim joined other Chevy Cheyenne trim levels, which include familiar labels like LT, RST, Trail Boss, LTZ, and High Country. All Mexico market Silverado and Cheyenne model Chevrolets are assembled at GM's Silao facility in Guanajuato, Mexico.