Decades before SUVs became the ultimate family haulers, the Chevrolet Suburban – aka the "Carryall Suburban" – was introduced in 1935 when the National Guard and the Civilian Conservation Corps required larger passenger vehicles. Next year marks the 85th anniversary of the Suburban's original launch, and in that time, the Suburban name has become the longest-running nameplate in automotive history.
As part of the run up to the all-new, 2021 Chevrolet Suburban (shown below), Chevy offered a look back at its biggest people mover over 85 years and 12 generations of designs, and we've assembled them all in this slideshow. Scroll through to check out all 12 generations of the Chevrolet Suburban!
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The Suburban Carryall was introduced in 1935 on a half-ton chassis with three rows of seating that sat eight passengers. This two-door body style would stick around until 1967! Power came from Chevrolet’s tough "Stovebolt" inline-six that produced 60 horsepower. In 1937, new Art Deco exterior design cues were added and power was increased to 79 horsepower.
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Although many automakers ceased production during World War II, Chevrolet continued to build many of its trucks – including the Suburban’s body style – for military purposes. The second-gen Suburban was built for the 1941, 1942 and 1946 model years still utilizing a three-row, eight-passenger seating arrangement.
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Representing the first significant redesign of Chevrolet’s truck line since before the war, the third-generation Suburban was welcomed by professionals in need of an all-new workhorse. Torque from the inline-six engine was 174 lb-ft at only 1,200 rpm creating excellent towing capability.
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The Chevrolet Suburban received a revolutionary new design and technology is introduced midway through the 1955 model year. Known as the “second series” design, it featured a wraparound windshield and the elimination of running boards, which resulted in the body now being flush with the fenders. The biggest addition was Chevrolet’s first V-8, the legendary Small Block. In 1955, factory-installed four-wheel drive is offered for the first time, with the famous NAPCO-supplied “Powr-Pak” system.
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Not only did the 1960s usher in a new Suburban design, it was also the start of Chevrolet's C/K designations to denote models with 2WD (C) and 4WD (K). In 1963, a ladder-type, channel-section frame replaced the X-member, box-section frames used in previous years. In 1965, passenger comfort became a bigger focus for the Suburban with new features like factory-installed air conditioning and a rear-seat heater being offered for the first time.
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A redesign of Chevy’s half-ton trucks is introduced, and for the first time since its debut, the Suburban now had three doors – with a single door on the driver’s side and front and rear doors on the passenger side. This new configuration offered easier access to the cargo area, and it was increasingly popular with ambulance companies.
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The seventh-generation Suburban was in production for 18 years making it the longest run of all time. With the redesign in 1973 came the all-new four-door body style, which has been a staple of this SUV ever since. The wheelbase was stretched to 129.5 inches with an increased focus on interior comfort and amenities that brought more personal-use customers to Suburban. By the late-1980s, electronically controlled fuel injection and a four-speed overdrive transmission brought greater efficiency.
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An all-new Suburban featured sleek styling with flush glass and composite headlamps. Other updates included four-wheel antilock brakes, Insta-Trac “shift-on-the-fly” on four-wheel-drive models and a suspension system designed to provide a more carlike ride. In 1998, available OnStar and the full-time AutoTrac all-wheel-drive system are added.
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Launched in 1999 as a 2000 model, the 10th-generation Suburban brought new styling, new interiors and new powertrains. The engines included the Vortec 5.3L and 6.0L V8s from the same Gen III Small Block family in the Corvette. New features included for first time are four-wheel disc brakes, a load-leveling suspension system and StabiliTrak electronic stability control.
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The tenth-generation Suburban features a wind tunnel-shaped exterior and elimination of traditional chrome front and rear bumpers. More efficient, comfortable and capable than ever, the Suburban continued to offer customers uncompromising capability and versatility. These SUVs were even safer with improved safety and driver assistance features that included electronic trailer sway control, Hill Start Assist and available Side Blind Zone Alert.
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Completely redesigned to be more functional and refined, the current 11th-generation Suburban offered even more features and a greater range of advanced technologies. This SUV is also more efficient thanks to a range of enhancements that include a more aerodynamic design and a direct-injected EcoTec3 5.3L engine. Improved aerodynamics also contributes to a quieter interior. Standard customer-focused technology makes this SUV even more family friendly with features like 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also added.
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Next year, Chevrolet will celebrate 85 years of its full-size SUV with the all-new 2021 Chevy Suburban continuing its run as the longest-running nameplate in automotive history. The new Suburban will be bigger than ever with an extra 4.1 inches of wheelbase, and, for the first time since the eighth-generation model, a diesel engine will be available under the hood.
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