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.

In 1973, the Blazer received its second-generation redesign, commonly referred to today as a square body. Like the first-generation model, the majority of the vehicles manufactured were four-wheel drive Blazers. Then in 1976, a half-cab design replaced the SUV’s full removable convertible top.

Chevy first introduced the K5 Blazer in 1969. The vehicle remained on the market until the mid 1990s when it was eventually replaced by the Chevrolet Tahoe.

Throughout its 23-year production run, the Chevrolet K5 Blazer underwent numerous styling and creature comfort changes. It lives on as one of America's all-time favorite 4x4 utility vehicles.