Trademark Filing Points to Chevrolet Cheyenne Comeback
Is Chevrolet about to resurrect its Cheyenne truck nameplate for the U.S. market? A recent General Motors trademark filing indicates that the automaker may have plans to bring back the Cheyenne as a new model — perhaps a compact pickup or high-performance Silverado variant.
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GM’s registration application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office says the trademark “is intended to cover the categories of motor land vehicles, namely trucks.”
GM Authority points out that GM has registered the Cheyenne name three other times since 2009, so what might be different now? The history of the name and recent truck developments point to a couple of possibilities.
Chevrolet Cheyenne: history and future
From the early 1970s to the late 1990s, Cheyenne was a trim level in Chevrolet’s long-running lineup of C/K pickup trucks. In the U.S., Cheyenne was discontinued when the C/K was replaced by the Silverado. In Mexico, though, certain Silverado models are still sold under the Cheyenne name.
More recently, GM has shown two concept trucks under the Cheyenne name. The 2003 Chevrolet Cheyenne Concept was a sporty-looking truck with side-access doors for the bed, a forward-thrust cabin and raked windshield, and off-roading capabilities.
CarBuzz notes similarities between this 2003 concept and the upcoming Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick compact trucks, speculating that a new Cheyenne could be GM’s entry point into a potentially resurgent small pickup segment.
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GM also introduced a Silverado Cheyenne Concept in 2013. With its lightened and lowered build, 420-horsepower engine, and features like Brembo brakes and blacked-out accents, this concept was a street-friendly, high-performance version of the third-generation Silverado.
Based on this 2013 concept, GM Authority theorizes that that a new Cheyenne could simply be a high-performance Silverado model to compete with a rumored Ford F-150 street truck variant.
GM hasn’t said anything about its plans for the Cheyenne name, so it remains to be seen what will come of all this. However, whether it turns out to be a compact truck, a souped-up Silverado, or something entirely different, a new Cheyenne certainly has the potential to be an exciting addition to the Chevrolet truck lineup.
A longtime editor/writer and recently transplanted Hoosier, Caleb Cook lives in Xenia, Ohio. His favorite activities are reading and listening to music, although he occasionally emerges from the heap of books and vinyl records in his basement to stand blinking in the sunlight. Once fully acclimated to the outside world again, he can be observed hanging out with his wife, attempting a new recipe in the kitchen, attending movies, walking the dog, or wandering into a local brewery to inquire about what’s on tap. See more articles by Caleb.