What is a Pickup Truck?

Pickup Truck combine the advantages of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

If it is seen in Europe as a practical commercial vehicle on the basis of a passenger car and possible second car for owners of house, yard and forest, it is in North America an ordinary car for everyone with a great need for space.
In the United States, powerful pickups have dominated sales statistics for decades, but these cars are still rarely seen in Europe.

The first mass-produced pickup truck was the Ford T model. About 135.000 cars with a capacity of 20 hp were produced. However, the real boom of pickups began after the Second World War.

What does a typical Pickup Truck look like?

The concept of an open loading platform is particularly practical in several respects: the cargo does not need to be painstakingly loaded through the trunk opening, but simply placed on the platform and carefully secured. Bulky and large parts can also be transported without problems.

Another advantage: strictly smelling, possibly corrosive or heavily soiled things do not even come into contact with the interior of a pickup, but remain outdoors. The loading area can be easily cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, a garden hose or, in emergency cases, with a high-pressure washer.

And in fact, a lot can be transported on the cargo area, while the driver and passengers enjoy the comfort of a regular car. A typical pickup has a ladder frame on which the cab and flatbed are mounted separately, a rigid rear axle and leaf suspension.

Hardtops and living cabins instead of fresh air

And then there is another point that makes pickups far more than just commercial vehicles: specially made hardtops, i.e. attachable roofs, turn the open loading area into a huge trunk. And with a cabin, your pickup will easily become a flexible motorhome during the holiday season. Thus, it is not only a reliable vehicle for everyday work, but also the ideal companion for all camping lovers and adventurers.

What is the most popular pickup truck?

With the overall manageable sales figures, completely independent models would hardly be economical to produce. Therefore, some manufacturers develop such cars in cooperation. An example is the pickup truck Fiat Fullback, which is identical in design to the fifth generation of the Mitsubishi L200. The Mercedes X-Class, in turn, is based on the Navara, the alliance between Nissan and Renault.

In the United States of America, the most popular pickups from manufacturers such as GM, Ford.
In addition, the market share of Japanese manufacturers such as Toyota, Mitsubishi and Mazda is growing in Europe. These are the leaders in the Asian sales markets.

Conclusion

A pickup truck is much more than a truck. It is literally as practical as the world-famous Swiss army knife. Because it combines all the advantages of a station wagon and at the same time complements them with the off-road capabilities of a thoroughbred SUV, and also adds a load capacity that is not limited by any pillars and ceilings. The pickup truck is uncompromisingly versatile.