The Chevy S 10 throughout the years has been a common and mostly-appreciated sight since 1981, when it made its debut as a 1982 model. It took off down the road on a 22 year run as the preferred compact pickup truck until it was replaced by the Colorado in 2004. The little pickup truck that could is still out there, though, with many still running the roads around the nation.
Categorized as a compact truck, the S 10 also ran for a time in the General Motors stable as the GMC S 15, though that model eventually became the Syclone. Chevy’s model was a replacement for the Luv, which had seen service since the early 1970s and was a rebadged Isuzu KB. The Arab oil embargo pointed out the need for small, fuel-sipping vehicles and Chevy make a concerted effort at delivering them.
Because of that effort, Chevy trotted out the truck in 1981 for the 1982 model year, introducing a 2-door SUV shortly thereafter in 1983. Chevy beat Ford to that segment of the market, though both finished behind Jeep, which had put a 2-door SUV up just before Chevy. No 4-door SUV version of the S 10 (the Chevy S 10 Blazer) was offered until 1990.
The S 10 was one of a small group of compact pickups that appeared in the General Motors lineup since 1982. The SUV variant, either 2 or 4-door, has been around almost as long. What’s for certain is that it has been a well-appreciated machine in any form for over a quarter-century, and is also a favorite of the backyard mechanic, given its relative mechanical simplicity, at least in its early years.
Given the initial desire by Chevy to feature what passed for good fuel economy in those days, the debut S 10 featured a standard 4 cylinder powerplant, which was an Isuzu carryover engine from the old Chevy Luv. It kicked out 84 ponies which, by today’s standards of power and economy, would be considered anemic but which was actually fairly good in 1982. It also offered 101 pounds-feet of torque.
The optional engine from the S 10′s debut up through 1985 was the a 2. 4 liter V6 with a Rochester 2-barrel carburetor that upped horsepower to 115 ponies and 148 pounds-feet of torque, which added a bit of ‘oomph’ to the package. For a short time (1983 – 1985) Chevy offered a diesel engine, with a whopping 58 horses and 98 pounds-feet, but it died for lack of interest.
Over the life of the S 10, Chevy continued to offer both 4 and 6 cylinder plants and also worked to add more horses and more torque as the truck matured. Originally offered with a normally-aspirated fuel-feeder setup, Chevy eventually tossed the carburetor for variants of a fuel injection system, including sequential port, multi-port and throttle body set-ups. The Chevy S 10 also featured 3 and 4-speed trannies in the first generation (up through ’93) and even a Borg Warner manual in 5-speed dress.
Second generation S 10s (’94 to 2004) continued to improve, adding to the fun factor with even more 2 or 4-wheel drive versions. Larger, more powerful and more fuel-efficient engines also were offered, even including a hot SS type that came with a 4. 3 liter engine that kicked out from 180 to 195 horsepower. Improved graphics packages and a lowered profile on 16-inch rims complete the set-up. It was discontinued, however, in 1998.
Over the years, the Chevy S 10 became a well-known sight in many a driveway or out on many a country road. It was emblematic of the Chevy division’s motto that it was, indeed ‘The Heartbeat of America’ at a time when the domestic automaker and other Detroit manufacturers dominated small and large light truck sales.