For some reason, today we're celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Chevrolet Suburban. We know -- you'd go out tonight to whoop it up, but you're afraid all the restaurants are booked.
To us, the fact that the Suburban has been around all that time doesn't matter much. What does matter is the outsize importance it played in the SUV surge a decade ago. The Suburban truly was the National Car of Texas.
GM sees significance in the Suburban being the first vehicle to be continuously produced for 75 years. Well, okay.
The original Suburban could seat eight, while removable seats provided a large cargo area. The 2010 Suburban seats up to nine, showing how little progress we've made over the past 75 years.
GM says the idea for the Suburban was born of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. They were made with wood sides and canvas tops. Suburban, by contrast, had an all-steel wagon body.
GM put together this dandy will timeline of all-things Suburban, starting with its introduction in 1935 and ending with that anniversary edition seen in the photo above, unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year. Here it is:
1935: Suburban Carryall introduced with a signature two-door body style that would last through 1967. Power came from Chevrolet's stalwart "Stovebolt" inline-six that produced 60 horsepower for the half-ton chassis.
1937: New, streamlined exterior styling carried Art Deco cues, and horsepower from the Stovebolt six increased to 79.
1942: Production of almost all civilian cars and trucks halted during America's involvement in World War II, although many Chevy trucks – including the Suburban's body style – were pressed into military duty.
1947: The first significant redesign of the Chevrolet's truck line – including Suburban – since before the war.
1950: Suburban models are offered with either a tailgate/top-opening rear window configuration or conventional "barn doors" at the rear.
1955: Revolutionary new styling is introduced midway through the model year. Known as the "second series" design, it features a wraparound windshield and the elimination of running boards – the body is flush with the fenders for the first time. The second series model also introduces the ubiquitous small-block V-8.
1957: Factory-installed four-wheel drive is offered for the first time.
1960: Chevrolet institutes the C/K designations to denote models with two-wheel drive (C) and four-wheel drive (K). Front-end styling is also new.
1967: All-new styling of Chevy's half-ton trucks is introduced, including Suburban. It carries a unique three-door arrangement with a single door on the driver's side and front and rear doors on the passenger side. This configuration makes the Suburban popular with ambulance companies.
1973: A new generation of Chevy trucks is launched, with Suburban offered in a conventional four-door body style introduced for the first time.
1975: Increased focus on interior comfort and amenities in the 1973 models bring more customers to Suburban for use as a personal vehicle. Chevrolet responds with more comfortable seats and greater amenities, including simulated buffalo hide vinyl upholstery, wood grain dash inserts, fully trimmed door panels and more.
1981: Updated styling brings stacked rectangular headlamps for the 1980s. The four-wheel drive system adds automatic locking hubs and the 454 cubic-inch big-block is still offered, giving customers great towing capability.
1987: Electronically controlled fuel injection and a four-speed overdrive transmission bring greater efficiency.
1992: An all-new Suburban features sleek styling with flush glass and composite headlamps. The 5.7-liter small-block V-8 powers 1500 models, while the 454 engine is still available in the 2500 series. Other updates include four-wheel anti-lock brakes, Insta-Trac on four-wheel-drive models and a suspension system designed to provide a more carlike ride.
1998: OnStar and the full-time AutoTrac all-wheel-drive system are added. In Australia, right-hand-drive versions of the Suburban are offered through GM's Holden brand.
2000: Launched in 1999 as a 2000 model, the next-generation Suburban brings new styling, new interiors and new powertrains.
2007: The latest generation of the Suburban is introduced, featuring a wind tunnel-shaped exterior and the elimination of traditional chrome front and rear bumpers. More efficient, comfortable and capable than ever, the Suburban continues to offer customers of all walks of life uncompromising capability and versatility.
2010: The 75th anniversary is marked with a limited-edition model, the 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition Suburban.
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