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Identifying the First-Gen Ford Mustang1970s GMC Jimmy: GMC’s Legendary SUV
We look back at the 1970 GMC Jimmy, the pioneering SUV that helped define GM’s off-roading legacy. We look at how the Jimmy was created and its impact on SUV design.
No-nonsense Vintage SUVs of the 1970’s
The GMC Jimmy may be gone from GM’s lineup, but its spirit lives on with the modern GMC Yukon. This lineage goes back more than half a century, to 1970, a simpler time in the auto industry. It was here that the SUV was born, though the no-nonsense vintage GMC Jimmy is about as far from the luxo-barge Yukon of today as two vehicles can be. Both are derived from pickup trucks, but the old-school Jimmy is a different beast altogether.
Ford’s Reveals the Bronco; GM Brings in the Blazer
In 1966, Ford unveiled the Bronco to go up against Jeep’s CJ, predecessor to the Wrangler that was more closely related to the military vehicles used so heavily by American servicemen in Europe during World War II. The International Scout was also already on the scene at this point and General Motors was in dire need of a competitor. So, for the 1969 model year, Chevy took a C/K series pickup truck, shortened the wheelbase to 104 inches, removed the roof, and called it the Blazer.
The GMC Jimmy Makes its Debut
The following year, the GMC Jimmy landed and with it, General Motors was off and running in the burgeoning SUV segment. By off and running, we mean shoving aside the Bronco to dominate the sales charts.
Doing so was enabled by a sort of happy accident. In the name of cost savings, GM repurposed an existing vehicle platform to develop the Blazer and Jimmy, as opposed to creating an all-new one. As a result, the new 4x4s from Chevy and GMC were quite a bit larger than the rest of the options on the market at the time. The 1966 Bronco only had a wheelbase of 92 inches versus 104 for the GM twins. And the period Jeep CJ-5? Just 83 inches.
This extra length meant that GM could offer a far more spacious cabin with luxury – for the time – features like air-conditioning, a variety of seating configurations with more comfortable cushions, and an automatic transmission. Then, as now, the GMC Jimmy was positioned as the slightly more upscale variant of the Chevy, but this was 1970 and upscale was a very relative term back then.
In fact, aside from basic badge engineering, it’s not entirely clear what makes the Jimmy fancier than the Blazer in 1970. The front ends are certainly different with quad headlights and a cross-shaped front grille versus dual headlights on the K5 Blazer. Also of note is that these first-gen GMC Jimmy’s offered a fabric or fiberglass hardtop, but the standard setup was a wide-open vehicle.
And don’t be fooled when you see first-gen GMC Jimmy restomods today with rollbars and auxiliary lights. Back in the day, the Jimmy rolled out of the factory with nothing more than the windshield and a pair of windows. Even seating was extra-cost. In standard spec, the 1970 Jimmy came only with a driver’s seat. This could of course be upgraded to dual front buckets or a front bench and added rear seats, but it was all extra.
What’s in a Name?
Now, about the name Jimmy. You may have wondered where this name came from considering the nameplate was applied to GMC SUVs from 1970 through 2005 in various forms. Turns out, General Motors was attempting to emulate its Jeep competition. Prior to the civilian Jeep we all know today, there was simply the GP, a vehicle used widely by the U.S. military circa WW II. Though it is often thought to stand for General Purpose, that’s a story for another day. In any case, these GPs came to be known by their users as “jeep” for short, a sort of slurring of the letters.
Fast-forward to the late 1960s and General Motors attempted to replicate this with the thinking that “GM” could be said as “Jimmy” instead. Needless to say, this effort by marketers to coin a term as culturally significant as the Jeep did not go to plan. Nonetheless, the GMC Jimmy was born.
1970 GMC Jimmy Specs
Offered in rear- (RWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD), the 1970 Jimmy rode on the K10 pickup truck ladder frame and offered two suspension setups. In RWD form, it consisted of an independent front suspension, rear trailing arms, and coil springs at all four corners. The 4WD models featured a solid front axle and leaf springs in place of the coils. For 1970, the Jimmy had four-corner drum brakes, with front disc brakes made standard for 1971.
Like its Chevy stablemate, the first-gen GMC Jimmy pulled its powertrains from the GM truck lineup. There was a 250 cubic inch (ci) straight-6 making 155 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque and a pair of V8 options. The 307 ci mill was rated for 200 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, while the range-topping 350 ci V8 mustered 255 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission options included a 3- or 4-speed manual and a Turbo-Hydramatic 3-speed automatic. Depending on configuration, 4WD Jimmys could be had with a choice of two transfer cases including a Dana 20 unit. Options included manual locking front hubs, power steering, power brakes, and front towing hooks.
The cabin amenity option list was thin compared to vehicles today, consisting of just a tachometer, soft or hard top, air-conditioning, and a push-button radio. There were also 15 exterior colors to choose from and an available Super Custom trimline that featured special exterior bits, color-keyed carpet, door armrests, and a cigar lighter.
The First-Generation Jimmy’s Legacy
These vintage first-gen GMC Jimmy’s were only built from 1970 to 1972, but they were an important part of the SUV craze to come. Like the second-gen Rounded Line model that was in production for an incredible 18 years. Within that run, there was also a mid-size Jimmy produced in parallel with the full-size model starting in 1983. By 1975, the Jimmy still offered a removable top, but only for the back half of the cabin as the front row featured a fixed roof.
Ultimately, the GMC Jimmy gave way to the GMC Yukon in 1991 and GM never looked back. Today, General Motors has expanded its full-size SUV segment into six distinct models from Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac, each with increasingly more luxurious accouterments. But it was the first-gen GMC Jimmy, and its K5 Blazer cousin, that got the party started.
