The Chevrolet K5 Blazer is GM’s legendary sport-utility vehicle that lives amongst the ranks of the Ford Bronco, the Jeep CJ and the International Harvester Scout.What set the 4x4 Blazer apart, though, was that GM based its size on their popular K10 pickup. Engineers took the truck’s chassis, shortened it and placed the shell of the K5 Blazer on top.

This saved Chevy a significant amount of money while also enabling builders to put the vehicle together and get it to market quickly.In addition, by basing the K5 Blazer on the K10 pickup, Chevy offered two distinct advantages: the cabin had lots of cargo space and interior room, while the wider track and longer wheelbase smoothed the on-pavement ride.A particularly important stage of the Blazer’s development came when the off-road capabilities of the Scout were combined with “luxury” features such as an automatic transmission and air conditioning.

As a result, the Blazer outsold each of its rivals by 1970.