Chevrolet Silverado

The first generation of the Chevrolet Silverado is a series of trucks manufactured by General Motors from 1998 until 2007 under the Chevrolet brand and also as the GMC Sierra. Built on the new GMT800 platform, the Silverado/Sierra 1500 and 2500 pickup trucks were first released in August 1998 as 1999 models. The "classic" light-duty GMT400 C/K trucks were kept in production alongside the new types for the first model year, while the heavy-duty GMT400 pickups (as well as the GMT400 SUVs) were continued until 2000, with the new GMT800 Silverado/Sierra HD (Heavy Duty) released in model year 2001. A 3500 model was added later for 2001, with the introduction of the HD moniker (though it was not until the 2008 GMT900 model year a 3500HD debuted). A refresh for 2003 models was introduced in 2002, bringing slight design changes and an upgrade to the audio and HVAC controls. The 2007 GMT800 trucks, built after the new GMT900 had gone on sale, used the name Classic to denote the difference between the two generations. Development In January 1993, GM began development on the GMT800 pickup program with numerous teams coming together. A new design was chosen and finalized for production in June 1995, 36 months ahead of the scheduled start in June 1998. Development sign-off was issued in late 1997, with pre-production and series production commencement in June 1998. Light duty There are a number of models of light-duty Silverados and Sierras, including the half-ton, three-quarter-ton, SS, and Hybrid. The light-duty trucks used the 1500 and 2500 names. They are available in three cab lengths, a 2-door standard/regular cab, 3- or 4-door extended cab, and for 2004, a full front-hinged 4-door crew cab (derived from the 2001 HD trucks). Three cargo beds are available: a short box, standard box, and a long box. The short bed is only available with the crew cab and extended cab. The standard box was also available with the Stepside box. They were available in three trim levels: Base/SL, LS/SLE, and the luxury-oriented LT/SLT, with the latter only being available with the extended or crew cab and automatic transmission.