Built from 1988 to 1998, GM’s C/K pickup has traditionally been viewed as nothing more than a basic taskmaster. Other than a few special editions, such as the 454SS and the Indy Pace Truck, car people have not considered these trucks all that special.
But with a rising interest in 1967-72 GM trucks helping to push up values of square-body (1973-87) GM trucks, that puts the later C/Ks of the ’90s in an interesting spot.
We’ve seen it happen before: cars or trucks that were once ubiquitous all of a sudden start to vanish from the road. At the same time, values of good examples start to climb, which is what we’re seeing happen right now. The current ACC Median Valuation for these trucks is $11,235, which is up a full 17% from 2016. When’s the last time you saw a really nice one out on the street?
These trucks have aged well, specifically in an era where even a basic new rig brings with it a $40,000 bill. Something like GM’s C/K will still do the job of a truck well, while also having a little bit of a throwback look and feel about it. Plus, they’re easy to modify, and they’re robust daily drivers.
I think values will keep increasing along with GM’s earlier rigs, so the time might be now to buy — especially if you’re looking for a work truck that won’t cost you any money to own and drive.