Picked up a 71 C10 CST "Demo Program" on the build sheet question

[Austinjay]

Picked up this 1971 Chevy C10 CST last week and got it cleaned up this weekend. It had the original build sheet under the seat and has "Demo Program" under the options list. I have never seen this before. Can anyone enlighten me? Its a real shame this truck is so beat up, it was very nicely optioned. It runs excellent and is mostly complete.

[CG]

Im not sure if this is the answer but ill toss it out there. My dad was a car salesman for as long as I can remember. Back in the late 60's I believe through the 70's we always had a new car, he called it his demo. Meaning he ordered what he wanted with the options he wanted (Im sure there were some limitations) and the car was built the way he ordered it. Sometimes we had a neat car for awhile, sometimes it went away because it was sold.

[Steeveedee]

Demos are generally pulled from existing stock, at least at the dealerships where I used to work. This truck, if it's really loaded, is potentially a rig that people working for the manufacturers got to drive for free for some period of time to help sell the brand. Three of my sisters and one brother (and my dad) worked at the GMAD plant in Van Nuys, and I seem to recall that my youngest sister got a car to drive for some period of time. If that truck is a demo in that vein, you have one rare bird.

[custom10nut]

Wow! What’s “so beat up” about it?
Other than missing some of the trim, what’s wrong with it?
Is the cab and floor in good shape?
I think you scored on a real gem.

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

Wow! What’s “so beat up” about it?
Other than missing some of the trim, what’s wrong with it?
Is the cab and floor in good shape?
I think you scored on a real gem.

The pictures are deceiving, every panel has big dents (the surface rust hides a lot). The whole ac system has been removed, someone cut the frame horns and welded a tube to the front, ect ect.....i will be adding more detailed pictures

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Demos are generally pulled from existing stock, at least at the dealerships where I used to work. This truck, if it's really loaded, is potentially a rig that people working for the manufacturers got to drive for free for some period of time to help sell the brand. Three of my sisters and one brother (and my dad) worked at the GMAD plant in Van Nuys, and I seem to recall that my youngest sister got a car to drive for some period of time. If that truck is a demo in that vein, you have one rare bird.

I agree, probably pretty rare considering most have never seen one before and not many responses to the thread. Its not something rare that would boost the value but very cool and interesting.

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by CG

Im not sure if this is the answer but ill toss it out there. My dad was a car salesman for as long as I can remember. Back in the late 60's I believe through the 70's we always had a new car, he called it his demo. Meaning he ordered what he wanted with the options he wanted (Im sure there were some limitations) and the car was built the way he ordered it. Sometimes we had a neat car for awhile, sometimes it went away because it was sold.

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[CG]

I remember for 1970 my dad ordered a Purple Road Runner with white interior. We never never even got to take a ride in it because it sold as soon as it came in.

He did get to pull a white Barracuda to drive instead. It was pretty cool because it was the first year for the new body style. Before that in 69 he drove a yellow Barracuda.

In 1968 he drove a bronze Road Runner. I was 9 in 68 and I thought that thing was super cool because of the Beep Beep horn haha!

Not everyone got to order up his demo, I think it was something the high sellers got to do. My pops 84 now, Ill have to ask him. The dealership he worked at was Chrysler, Plymouth, and GMC. I wasnt in to trucks as a kid, too bad, I might have some cool brand new 67-72 GMC stories.

Ok hijacked enough =)

[HO455]

I find if interesting that it came Dubois Idaho. Its population in 2010 was 677. It is the largest city in the county. Even more mystery on the history of the truck . Maybe it was for a retired GM executive?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubois,_Idaho

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_County,_Idaho

[davischevy]

That truck looks pretty good to me.

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by HO455

I find if interesting that it came Dubois Idaho. Its population in 2010 was 677. It is the largest city in the county. Even more mystery on the history of the truck . Maybe it was for a retired GM executive?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubois,_Idaho

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_County,_Idaho

I find this very interesting as well. I have dome some research on the "Laird sales and service" but not much comes up. Literally only one Laird family in Dubois, ID. I think I have narrowed it down to the original owner. But why would such a small dealership in a tiny town in idaho get a special demo truck as this? I hope more chime in. I love this kind of stuff

[toms68cst]

50 years ago many smaller-mid size towns had a local Ford or Chevy dealership. I bet it was ordered as a dealer demo for promotion. I never thought that they were special ordered though. It's a pretty interesting backstory.

You could usually go to a dealership at the end of a model year and get a special deal on their demo vehicles.

[davischevy]

My dad actually bought a couple demos because they tended to have more options and a discounted price. The dealer here sold them at less than 5,000 miles. We still have a demo we bought 16 years ago.

This Duramax was a dealer demo and had I believe 3,500 miles when we bought it.

[54blackhornet]

My grandfather was a executive for GM for 37 years. I followed him into the biz. Vehicles order as “Demos” where extended special arrangements in regards to floor planning/financing terms. Vehicles pulled from inventory and identified as demos did not qualify for these special terms.

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by 54blackhornet

My grandfather was a executive for GM for 37 years. I followed him into the biz. Vehicles order as “Demos” where extended special arrangements in regards to floor planning/financing terms. Vehicles pulled from inventory and identified as demos did not qualify for these special terms.

So is it possible this truck was what you saw when you walked into the showroom floor? This makes sense to me, and might explain why it was ordered with some creature comforts (ac,tilt,am/fm). I think those options would really sell a pickup, especially those who were buying trucks for work and pleasure.

[sloGMC]

Build sheet looks like it calls out a TH350. SPID says TH400. Interesting.

[atog]

Curious what the build date is

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by atog

Curious what the build date is

Build date - 3/4/1971