What does the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Carhartt Special Edition bring to the table?

Yes, we know that manufacturers have been getting a little too lenient with the word “Special Edition” but the example that we have in front of us today does deserve a pass!

In what looks like a match made in heaven and right in line with our previous articles about the fashion industry getting cozy with automakers, Chevrolet and Carhartt have announced their collaboration in the form of a kitted out Special Edition of the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 HD which has unsurprisingly been dubbed the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Carhartt Edition.

On the surface level, it might just look like Carhartt has just managed to slap a couple of logos on this Chevy offering and called it a day, but if the minds behind the entire project are to believed, a lot of thought and care did go into the project!

Wait…Wait…What exactly is Carhartt?

For the ones amongst our readers that are privy to corporate work environments and the cubicle lifestyle, Carhartt might not be a familiar name but trust us, the brand has some serious credibility. Founded in 1889 in Michigan, making the brand almost 132 years old, Carhartt is a U.S.-based apparel manufacturer that is known for its extremely rugged work clothing that ranges from everyday jackets, coats, and overalls to fire-resistant and hunting specific clothing. Carhartt has managed to create and uphold a reputation of being a tried and dependable brand of the working class and is extremely popular amongst construction workers, miners, farmers, hunters, and adventure enthusiasts. As of lately, Carhartt has expanded into general streetwear alongside their more work-oriented product line which also features their iconic mustard, khaki, navy blue, and the most popular “Carhartt Brown” i.e Mud Colour. Carhartt is also known and appreciated for their iconic “Brown Duck fabric” which is made from heavyweight, 12-oz., 100% cotton duck fabric that is tightly woven with no gaps where the yarns interlace — a feature that makes it wind and snag resistant.

A Work Truck x Work Apparel- Sounds About Right!

Many would-be moved to believe that maybe Carhartt would have favored collaborating with a manufacturer like Ford over something like the F-150 since both the brands are based out of Michigan which sounds like a healthy marriage but Carhartt does value brand relations over simple Geography. Ben Ewy, Vice president of global product design, research, and development for Carhartt stated that Chevrolet many years prior had invited Carhartt representatives to the GM Technical Centre in Michigan to pitch this collaboration and Carhartt believed that Chevy executives were able to envision the end product just like Carhartt themselves thus the final collaboration. The brands finally teamed up to put forth a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado Carhartt Concept at the 2016 SEMA show and garnered immense interest which ultimately led to the creation of the production model.

What is so special about it?

The 2021 Chevrolet Silverado is itself a benchmark in its segment that boasts of class-leading 36,000 pounds of maximum towing capacity. The standard 6.6-liter V8 (401 horsepower, 464 lb-ft of torque) of the 2500 HD mated to a 6 Speed Auto and the Optional Duramax TurboDiesel 6.6-liter diesel V8 (445 hp, 910 lb-ft) paired to an Allison 10-speed automatic transmission ensures that the Silverado HD manages to have enough grunt to take on even the toughest of jobs regardless of your choice of powertrains. The Carhartt Special edition of the Silverado is based on the Silverado 2500 LTZ Crew Cab that is paired with the Z71 Off-Road Package which features:

• Rancho Brand Shocks
• Hill Descent Control
• Underbody Transfer Case Shield
• Recovery Hooks
• High Capacity Air Cleaner
• Eaton Heavy-Duty Automatic Locking Rear Differential
• Brushed Metal Sill Plates
• 18” or 20” Wheels(20” for the Carhartt)
• All-terrain tires

The Carhartt Special Edition is offered only in the Mosaic Black Metallic Exterior Colour that features a pretty prominent pinstripe in “Carhartt Gold”. The entire exterior is littered with Carhartt Logos that can be seen on the doors and the tailgate while the Soft Tonneau Cover also gets Blacked Out Carhartt embossing. Black Hood Vents and Exposed tow hooks also help bring out the character of this Special Edition. On the interior front, Carhartt’s presence is even more prevalent as the upholstery feature a two-tone finish in Jet Black and the Iconic Carhartt Brown with Carhartt embroidered Headrests alongside All-Weather Floor Liners. The Upholstery also features Signature Carhartt Stitching which adds to the overall ethos of this collaboration. Although we would have been over the moon to see the famous “Carhartt Duck Fabric” make an appearance in the interiors, Mr. Ewy made it pretty clear that as much as Carhartt wanted to incorporate the fabric, it wouldn’t have sat well with the interiors as a whole. He also gave insight into the thought that went into crafting out the entire idea of this Special Edition since he stated that Carhartt had a specific vision that they wanted to turn into a reality with this entire collab. The Special Edition was also slated to feature a matte finish on the exterior to fall in line with the dull and rugged exterior of Carhartt products but they quickly realized that Matte finishes tend to be a bit too finicky and finishing a Work Truck in such an outfit wouldn’t be too smart.

Worth the Hype?

Chevrolet and Carhartt had originally agreed to pump out almost 3,500 of these special editions for the masses before the pandemic happened but the newer revised number for the total production still remains unknown. The Carhartt Special Edition in our opinion does have some nice details that do make the truck feel a little more special but it doesn’t add any sort of capability apart from the aesthetic benefit to the Silverado. Carhartt’s influence is quite prominent on the Special Edition and the inclusion of their signature stitching and mud color does make it worthy of the collaboration tag but that is about it. For anybody that has already been eyeing the Chevrolet Silverado 2500 the additional $3,585 for the Carhartt Special Edition could look like a sound choice but one has to realize that to unlock the ability to get one, you have to get the LTZ Plus (made up of LTZ Convenience and LTZ Safety), LTZ Convenience Package II, Safety Package II, and Z71 Off-Road Packages which quickly jump up the price to a total of $8,379 which isn’t short change.

If you have the kind of money to spend on the novelty factor of the special edition and were already going to option out the prerequisite packages anyway, then the Carhartt does feel rather special but if VFM is what you are after, maybe the standard 2500 is just enough!