ack in the early 2000s when I was at the helm of Classic Trucks magazine, the variety in the trucks we covered were basic: stock height (occasionally), lowered, or really lowered! Rarely did we devote pages to the lifted class.

That was then … and the “this is now” is a whole new ball game!

The off-road/4×4 segment of the classic truck market is huge—from the enthusiast’s aspect clear to the builders and, more importantly, to the manufacturers. It’s crazy. And I absolutely dig it! Especially the vintage pre-runner and SCORE-type stuff, as I have a small but personal attachment to that.

Back in the mid ’70s, my fourth grade teacher just happened to be Walker Evans’ (RIP) mother. She knew my dad who worked in the superintendent’s office and knew he worked closely with Frank Snook, who at the time professionally drove the Uniroyal Laredo Class 1 buggy (prior to that, the McDonald’s-sponsored C1 buggy). She assumed that I would appreciate having some (a lot) of her son’s memorabilia—from black-and-white glossies to factory-sponsored decals and so on. She was right. That same year, my dad took me to the Mint 400 in Vegas, where I not only got to steer Snook’s buggy in the pre-race parade down Fremont (despite barely being able to see over the wheel, with my dad yelling “keep in straight” the entire time!), but got to pre-run the course in one of Parnelli Jones’ Broncos (unfortunately not Big Oly!). Why my dad never got more involved with SCORE racing I’ll never know, but I definitely cherished every moment, especially the countless Riverside Raceway events and the early Mickey Thompson stadium races.

So yeah, ’70s off-roading holds a special place in my heart—and I love seeing the resurgence today.

As far as Classic Truck Performance goes, however, I’m really excited to see the aftermarket AND the hobbyists gravitating more toward the “non-lowered” arena. From Art Morrison and Roadster Shop to Scott’s Hotrods and TCI where you and I can go out and buy a turnkey 4×4 chassis, to an already-booming late-model 4×4 aftermarket with loads of options to take advantage of, and shops/builders such as Premier Street Rod, Hogan Built, and more, no pun intended, the only place for classic off-road trucks to go is UP!

Like it or not, the amount of these non-lowered classics will only increase moving forward into 2026 and beyond. Matter of fact, don’t be surprised to see an in-house project or two pop up here in the near future (including our very own publisher’s Bumpside). Yes, things will be looking up for CTP indeed, but don’t fret—we’ll still be devoting plenty of content for y’all who prefer things closer to terra firma!