Totally redesigned for 1972, the new, more civilized Dodge Sweptline pickup was “good for hauling loads and pampering people,” the Dodge boys said.

When the Dodge boys announced that their trusty D-series pickup was all new for 1972, they weren’t fooling. It was “new from the road to the roof,” the sales pitch went. The ’72 updates included independent front suspension, a bit surprisingly. Somehow, the pickups had hung onto an old-fashioned beam axle and leaf springs all the way through 1971. (General Motors adopted IFS in 1960, Ford In 1964.) Dodge caught up with a thoroughly conventional independent front end with coil springs and short/long arm wishbones. In fact, there’s a very good view of the setup in the commercial spot we’re sharing here. “It even rides new,” the spokes-cowboy assures us, giving it a few bounces.

The exterior sheet metal was all new as well—maybe not a moment too soon, as the previous D-series cab dated back to 1961. Under the direction of styling chief Elwood Engel, the design team created a wider cab with longer doors, while the clean and simple exterior look borrowed cues from the Dodge and Plymouth passenger car lines. This styling generation would have long legs as well, remaining in production through 1993 with periodic facelifts. Featured here is the Sweptline with full-width cargo box, but a Utline box with old-school fenders and a hardwood bed was also available. Check out everything that’s new for ’72 in the video below.