1968 Chevrolet C10 Has the Name of the End of Days, Looks Mean Enough

The C10 is one of the most present base vehicles used by custom shops across America. That's because it is easy to work with, instantly recognizable by the public, and oftentimes results in constructions so incredible it's hard to find something similar to compare them to.

So is the case of a pickup truck called Apocalypse. It was built by a California-based custom crew named Backyard Specialties. It was completed about a year and a half ago, and it is now for sale during an auction house Barrett-Jackson organizes at the end of January 2024.

The truck was initially a 1968 model year, meaning it was part of the C10's second generation. That's the one that became known in the industry as the Action Line, and although it used the same drop-center ladder frame as before, it came with a significantly revised new body. To this day, this generation is considered the distant forefather of the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and Suburban.

Trucks from the Action Line family constantly make it under the spotlight in revised forms, but, at least in recent months, this is one of the most alluring we've stumbled upon.

The truck no longer uses the original drop-center ladder frame, but a chassis sourced from Roadster Shop. It comes fully equipped to handle harsh terrain, including with coilover suspension at all four corners and a 4-link rear end.

The body of the Apocalypse is an exercise in smoothness. Although it retains the overall original lines of the C10 it is based on, custom work conducted on it makes it look totally different.

The front end is your classic C10 from that year, only gifted with custom air intakes. Further up, the flush-mounted, one-piece windscreen comes into focus. At the rear, the eyes feast themselves on a custom oak bed.

The color chosen for the bodywork is there to make the Apocalypse pickup truck look like it's floating in milk coffee. The wheels, on the other hand – sourced from Savini and part of the Signature Series – are all black, just like the Pirelli P Zero Nero tires that wrap around them. It's not exactly clear how large the wheels are, but by the looks of it they can could be as big as 24 inches.

The interior of the C10 (sadly not visible in the photos released by Barrett-Jackson) is, of course, all leather, and it features bucket seats for comfort, a center console for convenience (complete with cupholders), and LED lighting (these are backed by a starlight headliner).

Despite being based on a truck that's 55 years old, the build is as modern as they get. There's an InVision digital LCD display supplied by Autometer, a push button for starting the engine, and a touchscreen display that is Apple CarPlay compatible. A stereo sound system rounds up the offering on the modern gadget front, if it can be called that.

Since I mentioned the engine it's worth saying the Apocalypse is animated by a brand new powerplant. It's made by GM and it is part of the LSX series, and works in conjunction with a 4-speed automatic transmission. There are no less than 627 horsepower coming out of 454ci of displacement.

The truck steers properly courtesy of a power rack & pinion system, and there are Wilwood hydro-boost disc brakes to handle the stopping power. A custom dual exhaust system with electronically actuated cutouts handles the breathing needs of the powerplant.

Because the truck is relatively new to the market, it didn't get that many shots at stardom yet. It was present at the 2023 Los Angeles Grand National Truck Show, where it came in second.

The 1968 Chevrolet C10 Apocalypse is listed as one of the stars of the Barrett-Jackson auction taking place in the last few days of January in Scottsdale. We are not informed of how much the truck is expected to fetch, and given how it's going with no reserve, it could go either way.

Just to give you a starting point, consider valuation specialist Hagerty estimates the price of a Concours condition C10 from that year at $29,900. That price, naturally, doesn't take into account the many modifications made to the Apocalypse.

Worth mentioning is the fact the truck goes complete with a build book that includes documents related to the build, but also photos from when the truck was being put together. We will keep an eye out for the Apocalypse and update when we learn how much it went for.