Designer Jonathan Ward is at it again, this time putting old Chevy C10 bodies on modern Silverado 4x4s, blending the best of old and new. The trucks are called the C Modern Retro Series.Pricing starts at $450,000, so you really have to want one. Who doesn’t love the classic lines of the 1967-’72 Chevy C10 and C20? Okay, all those guys with 1967-’77 Ford F-250 Custom 4x4 “Highboy” rigs. But even they probably admit to liking the somewhat similar truck lines of the C10. It’s a classic and always will be. But driving an over-50-year-old truck comes with its own set of challenges, especially if you want to steer, corner, and brake. Which is where Jonathan Ward and ICON 4x4 come in.ICON 4x4 takes the classic C10 body and drops it onto a modern Chevy Silverado 1500 4x4 V8 and calls it the C Modern Retro Series.ICON 4x4“Developed from the ground up by ICON founder Jonathan Ward and his team of engineers, designers, and craftsmen, the C Modern Retro Series is neither a restoration nor a conventional C10 Chevy build,” ICON says.“Instead, it represents a comprehensive reengineering effort that preserves the complete functionality of a modern Silverado while clothing it in one of the most beloved classic Chevrolet trucks ever produced.”Ward and company have done this before. Many times. They started with the FJ Series of early Toyota Land Cruisers, which ICON offered in two-door FJ40 trim, four-door FJ43, and long-wheelbase FJ45 configurations. Early Broncos were next, with Art-Deco interiors, modern V8 engines, and custom chassis engineering. The Thriftmaster and Old School Series consisted of custom interpretations of vintage Chevrolet and Dodge pickup trucks, balancing modern tech with timeless body styles. Parts ain’t just parts.And all the while they were working on various classic American sedans for their Derelict and Reformer Series of vintage cars and trucks (think old Lincoln Continentals and Hudson Hornets) that keep a weathered, patina’d exterior but feature entirely upgraded modern drivetrains underneath. The most famous of those was a ’49 Mercury with a custom all-electric drivetrain.So with that history, doing a body swap of a 50-year-old truck shouldn’t be too big a deal.The classic C10 doesn’t just get a modern drivetrain, though the V8 engine does improve acceleration and towing capability. Included in the swap is the entire four-wheel-drive system, all modern modern safety technologies, ABS braking system, infotainment systems, and factory reliability. ICON integrates the authentic 1967–1972 Chevrolet pickup body with engineering solutions developed specifically for the program. “The result is a handcrafted truck that delivers the visual simplicity and character of a vintage Chevy truck while retaining what ICON says is the comfort, performance, and serviceability expected of a contemporary vehicle."“The 1967 through 1972 Chevrolet truck is one of the purest automotive designs ever produced,” said Ward. “For years, enthusiasts have been forced to choose between vintage aesthetics and modern functionality. Even existing C10 builds on the market also came with many compromises. This program eliminates that compromise. You get the soul and presence of the original truck combined with the capability and reliability of a modern Silverado.”ICON 4x4It’s a smart way to go.“The market has spent decades trying to modernize old trucks,” said Ward. “We approached the challenge from the opposite direction. Instead of updating a vintage vehicle, we asked what would happen if Chevrolet had never abandoned the timeless design language of the 1967 Chevy C10. What would that truck look like if it had evolved continuously through the present day? This program is our answer.”They’ll add whatever custom flourishes you want, too. You can chose to keep the aged exterior the donor truck body was found in, or refinished it in modern paint. Ward calls the two styles Derelict and Old School, beat-up or fully restored to original. Your choice. But it ain’t cheap. All those craftsmen have to be paid competitive wages, and the rent on the factory in Chatsworth has to be met. Hence, pricing starts at $450,000 for the Old School look and $500,000 for the Derelict. But you’ll be the coolest guy at the boat ramp all summer.
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