1937 Chevrolet Suburban

1936: Chevrolet Invents the SUV

The Suburban points the way
In 1936, Chevrolet invented the SÚV – and the station wagon as well. In this respect, the Suburban, the designated forefather of the Captiva, was already a classic example of a crossover.




In the autumn of 1935, Chevrolet merged the two ideas, and in 1936, the ÚS market leader brought out a spacious station wagon made of sheet metal, based on a half-tonne delivery van. With the crossover Suburban it was now possible for the first time to transport up to eight people comfortably in an all-steel body. Priced at just $685, it launched the triumphant career of a model that has continued to the present day.

Another innovation that was also destined for worldwide fame came in 1938 with the horizontally split tailgate. The original version with rear doors continued to be built in parallel with this for several years, but the customers' verdict was unmistakable: the first model of the Suburban with a tailgate netted sales of 16,696 up to 1947 – interrupted by the War – and proved far more popular than the rear-door version, of which 4,799 were sold.



It was in 1957, the year that 4WD first became available as an optional extra, that the Chevrolet Suburban – fondly called 'Burb' by its fans – truly became the forefather of the SÚV (sports utility vehicle) and the darling of all off-road enthusiasts, even though nobody actually called it so. Two years previously, GM had, for the first time, installed a V8 under the powerful hood and thus provided the pulling power that was lacking in the aging straight six.

In total, several million Suburbans (including its close relatives like the somewhat shorter Tahoe) have so far been built. With the new Captiva, Chevrolet will, for the first time, apply its crossover success formula to Europe: Compact and with a self-supporting body, but just as versatile, spacious, and comfortable as the original.

Chevrolet Suburban Carryall 1936

Frame & Body

2-door, 8-passenger window truck
based on Series FB ½ ton truck. Steel ladder frame (wheelbase 2,844 mm), steel body panels, wood frame roof with black vinyl cover

Engine & Transmission

Inline 6-cylinder with overhead valves (OHV), bore x stroke 84 x 101 mm, displacement 3388 cm³, Carter single barrel carburetor, 79 hp. Three-speed manual synchromesh transmission, rear-wheel drive

Suspension

Straight front axle with live rear axle, semi-elliptic springs, hydraulic four-wheel brakes, wheels 5.5 x 17

Technical milestones

The highlights of the eleven model generations since 1935:
•1954: Automatic transmission optional
•1955: 180 hp V8 engine optional
•1957: Four-wheel drive available
•1965: Air conditioning available
•1967: Second door on the passenger side
•1975: Catalytic converter
•1978: Diesel V8 available
•1987: Gasoline engines with fuel injection
•1995: Driver airbag as standard
•2003: Four-wheel Quadrasteer steering and StabiliTrak
•2006: Cylinder deactivation „Active Fuel Management
•2007: Dual-Mode hybrid transmission

Source - Chevrolet