GMC Brigadier
The GMC Brigadier (also known as Chevrolet Bruin) is a series of heavy-duty (Class 7-8) trucks that were assembled by the GMC Truck and Coach Division of General Motors. The second generation of the H/J-series heavy-duty conventionals, the Brigadier was produced from 1978 to late 1989, as a WhiteGMC for the last year and a half. Slotted between the largest medium-duty C/K trucks and the GMC General, the Brigadier was a Class 7-8 short-hood conventional similar to the Ford L-Series and Mack Model R. Configured in both straight truck and semi-tractor layouts, the Brigadier saw use in short-haul, vocational, and severe-service applications.
| Chevrolet Bruin/GMC Brigadier | |
|---|---|
1986 GMC Brigadier 8000 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | GMC Truck and Coach Division |
| Also called | Chevrolet Bruin WhiteGMC Brigadier (1988-1989) |
| Production | 1977-1988 |
| Model years | 1978-1989 |
| Assembly | United States: Pontiac, Michigan (Pontiac Central Assembly) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Class 7-8 truck |
| Chassis | Ladder frame |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 139–218 in (3,531–5,537 mm) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Chevrolet/GMC H/J-series (1966-1977) |
| Successor | Chevrolet Kodiak/GMC TopKick WhiteGMC WG |
All examples were assembled alongside medium-duty GM trucks and GM RTS buses at the GMC Truck & Coach Pontiac Central Assembly facility in Pontiac, Michigan. From 1978 to 1980, Chevrolet marketed the Brigadier as the nearly identical Chevrolet Bruin. Following the launch of Volvo GM Heavy Truck Corporation, the Brigadier was marketed under the combined WhiteGMC branding through the 1989 model year.