The Chevrolet C/K pickup became the first vehicle to carry the Silverado name.
For the 1975 model year, Chevrolet used Silverado as a trim designation on its full-size C/K pickup. It was not initially a separate model line. The name identified a more highly equipped version of the conventional Chevrolet truck.
Chevrolet later expanded the name’s role. For the 1999 model year, Silverado became the official name of the new full-size pickup that replaced the C/K series. This transition is why references may describe either the C/K Silverado trim or the Silverado pickup as the origin of the name.
The C/K designation described Chevrolet’s full-size two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive pickup families. The letter C generally identified two-wheel drive, while K identified four-wheel drive. The Silverado name eventually became one of Chevrolet’s best-known truck badges.