[ChevLoRay]

Somebody at every dealership is in charge of ordering the vehicles that they intend to sell, unless a customer special orders one, even today.

I'm sure the dealership owner trusts whoever that person is, to be up-to-speed on what people in the area are interested in. Every item added to a base vehicle has some markup as part of the pricing, so adding items to a vehicle is theoretically going to add to their profit. Some areas, like farming communities, would be better off ordering plain-jane trucks, with torquey sixes/eights, 4-speed (granny low) transmissions, lower-geared rear axles, no airconditioning, no power brakes, maybe a radio (certainly not an AM/FM), no clock, heater, no tinted glass, no upper/lower side trim, heavy-duty step bumper, painted hubcaps/bumpers, etc.

On the flip side, when these trucks were new to the marketplace, they were just beginning to become more car-like, and creature comforts were being hawked to the buyers.

As for me, if I had been in the market for a new truck for '69, I would have probably gone with the 350 engine, 3-speed transmission w/overdrive, a posi-traction rear axle, long wheel base, and an AM radio. Heaters were standard, as was power steering. I would probably have added the Custom package. But, this is all hindsight based on my 21-year old thinking, back in '68.

Tastes and times change.