JAY LENO SHOWS US AMERICA'S MOST RADICAL PICKUP TRUCK

Pickup's are beloved by a large percentage of the global population, but they weren't always high-riding go-anywhere vehicles. This is a look at America's most radical pickup, Jay Leno's Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside.

In 1961, the Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside made a splash in the world of pickup trucks. It was the strangest pickup to hit the market, with its cab over the front wheels and the motor under the stepped load bay. It was also advanced for the time, with softly sprung independent suspension all around, a four-speed manual gearbox and an air-cooled 140 cubic inch flat-six.

The most unique aspect to this pickup, though, was the fold-down ramp on the side of the load bed, just behind the cab. It was perfect for loading wheeled vehicles like motorcycles and lawnmowers, but it served an even better purpose for the Bell Telephone Company. They found it uniquely useful for loading and unloading cable drums and purchased a fleet of them.

The Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside was only produced for two years, selling 3,213 units, making it the rarest in the range of Corvairs in today's classic vehicle market. The more common versions included a couple of vans, a station wagon, a four-door sedan, and a two-door coupe and convertible.

Although this unique vehicle had a short lifespan, its unique approach to the pickup market gave it an edge over its contemporary opposition like the Volkswagen Transporter. It's rare to see one, but thanks to Jay Leno, as usual, we get to see this amazing truck in all its glory. Click play on the video below and join Jay as he gives us a breakdown of this terrific vehicle.

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