First generation Chevy LUV. All photos from wikipedia.com

The best example of a Chevrolet captive import is the 1970s compact truck, the Chevy LUV. Long before the term SUV was a part of automotive speak, Chevrolet coined the LUV acronym for Light Utility Vehicle to fit this mini-truck.

Manufactured by Isuzu for Chevrolet beginning in 1972, the sales in North America ceased when Chevrolet released the S-10 pickups in 1981. While the lovable LUV could no longer be purchased in the United States, production of the subsequent generations of the vehicle continued until 2005 in South America.

The LUV was designed to be General Motors’ answer to the import trucks filtering into the marketplace. By creating their own low-cost compact truck by rebadging the Isuzu Faster truck, GM was into the market quickly. By the end of 1972, Chevrolet had sold 21,098 Chevy LUV trucks.

Sales rose to 39,422 the following year. With very few changes in design for the next few years, the sales stayed around the 30,000 level until 1976, when they jumped to 46,670 due to new features. The next year was more of the same for the little truck with 67,539 in sales. With no real design changes to speak of, the compact truck’s popularity continued to grow as sales topped 71,145 trucks sold in 1978.

A Second generation Chevy LUV.

In 1979, Chevy added a 4X4 version of the LUV to the lineup where it promptly came in second place for Motor Trend’s truck of the year. Sales hit a record 100,192 for the model.

While sales remained decent, the following years showed a steady decline in the mini truck market. The Chevy LUV was also caught in the downturn of the compact truck’s popularity decline.

The Chevy LUV’s sales dropped in 1982 to the level of its starting year with just over 20,000 units sold. The new S-10 trucks released in 1983 officially signaled the end of the Chevy LUV.