Interesting history about the K5 Blazer from the Chief Engineer 65-76

[wazzabie]

Paul Hitch was the Chief Engineer of Chevrolet Trucks from 1965 - 1976. Working for GM from 1935-1978.

Paul developed the K5 blazer and shares the history on how this vehicle was developed and evolved.

Interesting conversation:
- High hood on the early K5 added 7mph to the truck.
- Cost of tooling resulted in using c10 parts
- Same engineers worked on GMC and Chevy
- The K5 design was shared with some ranchers in Wyoming for feed back
- GM didn't have to invent SUV... go back to the 30s suburban
- Paul was asked about the bent hood and if it was a safety design
- Antenna in windshield design came from supplier of windshields
- Engineering wanted panels to have more curves for strength
- Special versions of trucks was a sales function.... engineering would not get involved and outsource
- Paul obtained a K5 Blazer from the Chevy Phoenix area proving ground and took it into baja, it had finned turbine rims and was full vert, went down with Mickey Thompson

 

[wazzabie]

More conversation:
- Vic Hickey when working at GM copyrighted the name Blazer. GM ended up paying 50K for it. Paul would ride motorcycles with Vic Hickey.
- 1973 was suppose to be a 72 but was delayed.
- Frame was designed with crush zones


Here is another interview.

 

[MTBLAZER89]

I would love to know why "K5" got used with the Blazer. It certainly confuses people with GM already using K as a chassis code and a number following.