Chevrolet K5 Blazer
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The Blazer was the small option when it came to General Motors and their SUV options. The Blazer was made from 1969 through 1998. Chevrolet would also sometimes make a GMC version of the Blazer they called the Jimmy. The Blazer was so multi-talented. It was a great farm vehicle that could get around and carry equipment with it. It was a fantastic getaway vehicle for cottages and lakes and hikers. It was a great everyday vehicle in which the driver always felt safe.
Like a lot of the vehicles on this list, the Blazer started out as a 2 door sports utility vehicle. This trend comes from the fairly obvious conversion of pickup trucks into sport utility vehicles. Before four doors and an infinite supply of seats were the norm, this is how the sports utility vehicle lived life. The first generation ran on a short wheelbase concept that made it an excellent off-roader.
Part of what made the Blazer so strong was its construction. Thick steel and heavy construction may no longer be the way vehicles are made, but at the time, it made far more sense. Engineering wasn’t perfect, but the steel kept everyone safe and rolling along happily.We have to specify the K5 Blazer because Chevrolet also made another Blazer called the S-10 Blazer. This smaller Blazer was built off the S-10 pickup platform and actually evolved into the larger and very popular Chevy Trailblazer.
The early Blazers have actually managed to become rather collectible over the years. While they aren’t regularly going for over $100,00 there’s still a solid value of around $30,000. The Blazer market has peaked at Barrett-Jackson auctions recently for over $220,000. That’s a mighty fine collectible SUV. Of course, this is an outlier and not the regular price one would expect to see. Despite that, it’s good to know that there are people who appreciate what an incredible offroader it was.
