The history of the Cheyenne name on Chevy trucks goes back to 1971 when it was first introduced as a higher-end trim level of the C/K Series pickup trucks. It was absent from the U.S. market when the Chevy Silverado became its own model in 1999, but GM has been trying to hold on to the trademark on and off ever since.
GM has been trying to register this trademark since 2009, all for the goods and services category of “Motor land vehicles, namely, trucks.” It filed four applications from 2009 through 2021. Of note, these are all trademark filings, which means GM repeatedly applied for the trademark and it was never fully registered; hence, they were abandoned.
| Brand | Status | Holder | Number | Filing Date | Date Abandoned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne | Inactive | General Motors LLC | 90650034 | Apr 16, 2021 | Sep 30, 2022 |
| Cheyenne | Inactive | General Motors LLC | 87245256 | Nov 22, 2016 | May 17, 2021 |
| Cheyenne | Inactive | General Motors LLC | 85832632 | Jan 25, 2013 | Jan 23, 2017 |
| Cheyenne | Inactive | General Motors LLC | 77780351 | Jul 14, 2009 | Feb 25, 2013 |
| Cheyenne | Inactive | General Motors Corporation | 73700701 | Dec 14, 1987 | May 02, 20091 |
- Filing canceled (not abandoned)
This suggests that GM had plans to use the Cheyenne name for a future truck or a variant of an existing truck. Now that the filing has been inactive since 2022 with no new filings since then, it’s safe to assume that whatever product it was thinking of bringing to market as the Cheyenne is no longer coming or coming under a different name.
2003 Chevy Cheyenne Concept
In addition to its run on production Chevy trucks, the Cheyenne name has a history on concept trucks. A Chevy Cheyenne pickup concept turned heads at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show with quirks like a supercharged V8, drawers and side access doors for the bed, and Quadrasteer. There was also a 2014 Chevy Silverado Cheyenne concept at the 2013 SEMA show based on a single-cab Silverado with a new (at the time) 6.2L V8 L86 under the hood. With an emphasis on performance and weight reduction, it was like a Z/28 version of the Silverado. It even had wheels and brakes borrowed from the fifth-gen Camaro Z/28.
2014 Chevy Silverado Cheyenne Concept
Right now, the Chevy Cheyenne is still exclusively sold in the Mexican market due to strong brand equity for the name south of the border. Chevy’s full-size truck lineup is a little different in Mexico. The trucks themselves are essentially the same, but the Mexican Chevy Silverado is just the base and Custom trims. The LT trim and up are all branded as the Chevy Cheyenne, including the off-road-ready ZR2.
Comment
“It’s safe to assume that whatever product it was thinking of bringing to market as the Cheyenne is no longer coming or coming under a different name.”
As hard as it is to come up with something sensible that isn’t already trademarked, GM should’ve kept with the applications and held onto them, regardless of any current plans to use the name. “First use in commerce: 1971” would be valid too.