See two new 1957 Chevy 4×4 pickups clamber up Pikes Peak like mountain goats in this great old factory film.
In the wide, wide world of automotive marketing, there are stunts and then there are stunts. And this one’s a beauty: The Chevrolet folks took two brand new 4×4 pickups to Colorado and clambered up scenic Pikes Peak, and not over the normal mountain road as you or I might do it, but on a grueling cross-country route. That adventure, in a nutshell, is the basis of this 1957 Chevrolet film titled Meeting the Challenge.
Unfortunately, the color is rather badly washed out in this film, but often that’s par for the course with these artifacts. In 1957, the studios and clients would have never suspected that enthusiasts would still be viewing their films more than half a century later. So our view of the colorful Colorado scenery is not what it would be, but all the wonderful vehicle details are still available.
It’s interesting to note that the trucks used here were equipped not with the division’s powerful new V8, but with the trusty 235 CID Thriftmaster inline six. And of course, Chevy 4×4 pickups of this era were factory-equipped with the rugged NAPCO four wheel-drive system, produced by the Northwestern Auto Parts Co. of Minneapolis. (Chevrolet introduced its own 4×4 system in 1960.) Enjoy the video.
Pretty impressive but I wonder what happened to truck #2?
Looks like rock crawling isn’t new afterall. I bet the manual steering on that truck was a handful. Must have been some good tires too to stand up to those sharp rocks, for sure wasn’t thin sidewalled radials. I’m guessing the torque range on the I6 was better suited than the V8 was why it was chosen. Still impressive even now, I’ve driven a few of those Task Master trucks in 2wd version and wouldn’t dream of putting one in that rough of a condition.