Before they were cool. That's before every one had to have one, needed or not. It managed to drive the prices up & up. I have restored several over the past years and like the earlier cars the parts for the trucks are getting easier to come by. The thing about it is a pickup was a tool now its a fancy mode of transportation, Lincolns Cadilacs and others jump on the wagon, and people buy them. A contractor has to order a truck with out all the B/S on them. It would be hard to buy one with out all the extras.
Guess my rant is done sorry for the interruption. A lover of all trucks.