Chevy Kodiak and GMC TopKick ride off into the sunset

June 8, 10:11 AMSF Autos ExaminerMichael Sheena

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Chevrolet Kodiak

General Motors announced today that it has decided to wind-down its medium-duty truck operations.  In 2007 GM said that its medium-duty truck business, whose products include the Kodiak and Topkick, was being sold to Navistar International. However, the financial crisis took its toll and in August of last year both GM and Navistar announced that their memorandum of understanding for the purchase had expired and was not renewed.

According to Wikipedia, the Kodiak and TopKick were introduced in 1980 as stronger versions of GM's existing medium-duty C-Series trucks. "Kodiak" followed the pattern of "frontier beast" names given to heavier trucks such as the Chevrolet Bison and Chevrolet Bruin, while "Top Kick" came from military slang and tied in with GMC's heavy truck names of General and Brigadier.

Through May, Kodiak sales were down 48% at 2,075 while the Topkick were down 69% to 1,806.  Production of the Chevy Kodiak and GMC TopKick medium duty trucks will cease by July 31, 2009.