I initially dismissed the the press release because no , no care. Then I saw that roll bar! It’s definitely not a safety device but it is the first OEM pickup truck roll bar that’s come out since, I think, I’ve been old enough to read. Come on automakers, bring these babies back!

Of course decorative roll bars are close cousins of fake hood scoops and stick-on exhaust portholes. The only significant difference about this accessory is I happen to like it.

Obviously th bar is meant to mimic the full-frame roll cage of a desert racing truck that would run all the way down to the frame, providing extra rigidity and protection in the event of a rollover. When you get one like this from your local dealer or JC Whitney catalog, it’s just a clamp-on affair that usually ends at the top of the bed gunwales.

I don’t think you have to be old enough to have been driving in the 80’s to know how big these were back in the day. Marty McFly’s famous Toyota pretty much epitomized the look:

Can you even imagine the McFlymobile without that roll bar and four extra KCs?

In further defense of faux-bars; they do offer the practical purpose of being light mounts (as seen on the Colorado Trail Boss) and giving you one more point to strap down cargo with. And did I mention they just look freakin’ sweet?

Take a look at the Colorado with and without the bar. I don’t have to spell out for you who would drive which truck, but I will anyway:

Maybe it’s something about the way it gives the truck a “fastback” profile. Maybe it’s just the association with desert race rigs. But I love it and I hope Chevy inspires more companies to start offering them again. And who knows, if enough people order the Trail Boss parts GM just might come up with a crazier desert-running pickup.

Anybody else want to see roll bars come back or am I just gonna have to go weld up my own?

Images via Chevrolet, Back To The Future screengrab

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