$24K for an Old S-10? This Baja Is a Rad Racing Reference

A 1989 Chevrolet S-10 equipped with the Baja Package recently sold on Bring a Trailer for $23,625 with fees, despite having 76,000 miles and a history involving a 1996 curb collision that required a new fender and wheel well housing. The Baja Package was a rugged off-road appearance package introduced for the 1989 model year. It included specific paint and graphics, a tubular rear bumper, a light bar with off-road lamps, and black and chrome accents on the headlight and taillight bezels and grille. The package was available on any 4×4 S-10 ordered with the top-level Tahoe trim, the 1500-pound payload package, the underbody shield package, and the 2.8-liter V-6 engine.

However, the featured truck was heavily optioned beyond the basic requirements. This Maxi Cab S-10 included deep tint, a manual sunroof, reclining seat backs, front color-keyed floor mats, a four-speed automatic transmission, front A/C, aluminum wheels, electronic speed control, a driver convenience package with a tilting steering wheel and intermittent wipers, a 3.42:1 rear-axle ratio, an engine-block heater, and the 4.3-liter V-6 engine. The 4.3-liter V-6 produced 160 HP at 4000 rpm and 230 lb-ft of torque at 2800 rpm. With $4,872 in options, the original total came to $16,957 plus a $400 destination fee, totaling $17,357.

The Baja Package served as a nod to Chevrolet’s partnership with off-road-racing veterans Team MacPherson at the Baja 1000. In 1982, Joe MacPherson and Jerry McDonald ran a stock Chevy S-10 pickup in the Baja 1000, finishing the grueling race in 37 hours. Team MacPherson secured 10 class championships and 83 wins over 28 years, with MacPherson acting as a factory partner with GM for 16 of those years to test and develop electronic four-wheel drive. Quote data reveals that Gen X and younger enthusiasts show disproportionate interest in the 1982-93 S-10 generation, and the $23,625 sale price ranks among the higher figures for this generation on Bring a Trailer over the last five years.