From Racetrack To Worksite: Chevrolet’s All-new 2019 Silverado Chassis Cab Trucks Adopt Racing-inspired Flowtie

The all-new Chevrolet Silverado 4500HD/5500HD/6500HD trucks took a design cue from an unlikely source: the Chevrolet Camaro. The “flowtie,” first introduced on the front grille of the 2014 Camaro Z/28 and now standard on the 2018 Camaro ZL1, is the chrome outline of the traditional Chevrolet bowtie but with the center removed, allowing increased engine airflow to help improve performance.

“There is innovation in the design details and a great example is our Camaro Z/28-inspired Chevrolet flowtie,” said Design Manager Kevin O’Donnell. “Our engineers designed it to help win races by using airflow to lower coolant and oil temperatures on the race track.”

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Why a flowtie?

During Z/28 aerodynamics testing, engineers noticed that the bowtie on the grille was displacing air away from the radiator, which can impact engine cooling. So, propulsions engineer Richard Quinn took a cut-off wheel to the bowtie’s gold fill, leaving the silver outline intact. He installed the prototype flowtie on the grille and a retest revealed that it allowed more air into the engine, lowering engine fluid temperatures during extended track sessions.

The conventional cab Silverados are heavy-duty cycle trucks, and the designers needed a solution that allowed for maximum airflow with the truck’s pumped-up grille. They found their solution in the performance car toolbox.

“The flowtie is an elegant solution. And it’s going to work on the Silverado exactly the way it does on Camaro,” said O’Donnell.

Other exterior design highlights:

• Muscular look with a broad wide bumper, strong center bar and fenders that grow out of the hood
• A powerful hood form that maintains downward range of sight to provide driver perspective
• Fiberglass tilt-hood with integrated hand grips to aid serviceability
• Cab with inlaid doors and triple door seals for in-cab quietness
• “Chevy’s designers and engineers were obsessed with making this Silverado the most customer-focused medium-duty truck among its major competitors — and this is evident in every design decision,” said Ed Peper, U.S. vice president, GM Fleet.

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