July 9: Chevy Suburban - my how you've changed

Late '30's Suburban

Suburban - my how you've changed. There are those of you who would not remember that the Chevrolet Suburban was once a truck. No really, it was definitely a truck. Sure it's still a truck, but way back in the beginning it was a TRUCK. No fancy amenities, just a tough truck with no pretensions. Wow, how things have changed. Check out this pic of all the Subs and see how they've changed over the years........

From the basic 2 door on the left to the fancy urban soccer mom car in the middle, you have come a long way baby. Imagine driving one of these things around the most affluent neighbourhoods in the '60's. Wouldn't happen, unless it was the gardener's work truck.

Although Chevy tried to pitch this truck to big families, for years it was basically a utility vehicle. Sure the brochures might wish otherwise........

........but unless you needed a trailer puller, you walked right by these guys on your way to the family sedans. As we went thru the '90's, things started to change. The Suburbans became more and more luxurious and interiors like these were the norm, not the exception.......

Right out of a Cadillac, a Mercedes or a BMW. And now the drivers were the so called soccer moms, as their husbands had the luxury sports sedans. No longer were these big trucks owned by the average buyer, they became the status symbol of the wealthy. It seems every wife wanted a Suburban. How do they park these behemoths?

There was another change in the fortunes of the Chevy Suburban. Who would have thought that an armoured black Sub with blacked out windows would become the new political limousine and also the primary police escort vehicle? Check out this pic and count the Suburbans.........

Or this one carrying the US president.........

No longer the workhorse construction vehicle or the best choice for a trailer tow, the good ol' Suburban has become the favorite of the rather well do urban dweller. Going way back to the beginning, who would have thought?

Suburban  -  my how you've changed.

Until next time.......