Chalk up another special edition vehicle that I’d never heard of. It wasn’t uncommon to find special edition cars that celebrated America’s bicentennial in the mid-1970s…certainly, with the neutered horsepower, they had to do something to bring the buying public into the showrooms for a sale, and what better way than to pair off red, white and blue color combinations? Meet the (big breath now…) 1976 Chevrolet K-10 Scottsdale Bonanza “Spirit of ’76” Edition. What does that mouthful actually mean? Let’s look a little bit closer…
Here’s the breakdown: First up is a 1976 Chevrolet half-ton shortbed pickup with four-wheel drive, hence the “K-10” moniker. The Scottsdale package (RPO Z62) was effectively a mid-level trim model, slotted between the base Custom Deluxe and the high-end Silverado. On top of that, the Bonanza package (RPO YG8) was checked off on the order form, adding not only the Bonanza fender callouts, but color-keyed carpets, a deluxe vinyl seat, wheel covers, the chromed grille, gauge package, clock, radio, automatic transmission, power steering, tilt wheel, inside hood release, Soft-Ray tinted glass, air conditioning, and cargo lamp. It made for a very comfortable “Rounded Line” pickup, but just when you thought the options sheet had been maxed out, out came the Spirit of ’76 appearance package, which netted you the stripes and a specially-stitched bench seat.
The remainder of this K-10 is pretty typical: 350ci V8, TH350 automatic, and there you go. How many were made? Nobody knows, but we doubt they’re plentiful. 1976 was still the era of a truck being a truck, and if it wasn’t being used for work it was being used for play, and probably none-too-gently. Somehow, forty years after it was sold, this Chevrolet looks amazing, and any visible wear is just minor and typical stuff…nothing we’d care anything about! What do you think…too retro, too visually arresting, or a collectible worth holding on to? The Fourth of July is coming up, and it’s not like you could lose with a clean old Chevy like this…
eBay Link: 1976 Chevrolet K-10 Scottsdale Bonanza “Spirit of ’76”
Chevy went all out for the Bicentennial in 1976. They had Spirit of ’76 models for every model, Vega, Nova, Impala, and trucks.
Can’t get past the baby blue paint or the $35K price tag!