One of the most popular collectible segments is pickup trucks.  Of those, the Chevrolet and GMC “Square Bodies” seem to have exploded in popularity over the last few years.  The interesting part of all of this is that there are an amazing number of models and variations of this truck.  Take for example this 1980 Chevrolet C-10 Bonanza Edition truck for sale on eBay in Staten Island, New York.  Built as an end-of-the-year promotional package, this neat truck is completely original and rust-free.  With bidding currently at $15,100, what do you think this pristine truck will ultimately sell for?

Before I write a story, I try to do some research about the vehicle that is being profiled.  I fell down a rabbit hole this time.  I found this article on autowise.com about the many variants and special editions of this era of Chevrolet pickups.  Many of us feel that we are very knowledgeable about older vehicles, but I dare any of you to claim you knew about all of these different trucks.  Who has ever heard of a Beau James Edition truck?  Who the heck was Beau James and what did he have to do with pickup trucks?  If they ever came out with a Cletus Snow Edition, then I would drop some serious folding money on the nicest one I could find.  When you consider how many Trans Ams were sold from 1977 on, I am shocked that nobody at GM thought to make one.  But I digress…

Square Bodies were exceptionally common where I grew up, and my father was provided with a beautiful black Silverado as a work vehicle for a short time.  The truck was loaded with options, and I fell in love with it.  It was a gorgeous, luxurious truck at a time when most trucks in my area had wheelbarrows and shovels in the back.  The 1980 Bonanza you see here reminds me of that truck.  Both were short wheelbase and had the same wheels, with all the chrome that Chevy could put on a truck.

While the Silverado version is well known and still a trim level today, the Bonanza is a bit of a mystery to most folks.  In a sales war with Ford every year, Chevrolet came out with these trucks as a year-end special to lure buyers into the dealerships.  These trucks were basically a combination of accessory and color-coded trim packages that were cheaper when ordered together under the “Bonanza” moniker.  An interesting aside to this truck is the grille.  For 1980, the new for that year grill in combination with square headlights were only offered initially to buyers of Silverado editions.  At the end of the year, Bonanza buyers could get them as well.  It definitely made for a handsome truck.

The seller advertises the truck as having a 305 cubic inch small block V-8, with an automatic transmission.  Curiously, the ad states that the truck does not have any power accessories.  We will have to take the seller’s word on that due to a lack of an engine picture in the ad.  It would be nice to see a power steering pump or a power brake booster.  Not having those two in a half-ton pickup is a little too spartan for most people’s tastes.  This truck is the recipient of a recent tune-up and a new set of tires.  The point that is repeatedly made in the ad is that this is an all-original, unmodified truck in very good condition.  The pictures speak for themselves. It is an obviously nice truck from an unlikely place.  Place your guess in the comments as to what you think the final bid will be.