The Chevy Suburban, the quintessential family SUV, is celebrating its 85th anniversary with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s the first vehicle to receive this honor, a fitting recognition given its appearance in more than 1,750 films and television productions.
My wife grew up with an ’85 Suburban and after we married we inherited “the beast.” We loved taking it through desert tours and road trips from Las Vegas to Mt. Charleston and on to Salt Lake City. It ran reliably during the two years we owned it, but when we moved to New York we had to give it up.
Now that our family has grown to four, we appreciate the value of a vehicle with a third row. In Los Angeles a Suburban can be a tight fit, but it remains a unique and practical choice. What other SUV can comfortably seat nine adults and carry all their gear and luggage? Very few, if any.
We couldn’t attend the big Suburban celebration in Hollywood, but after dinner we put on the movie Jingle All the Way — the holiday comedy starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad — and spotted Arnold’s ride: a Chevy Suburban, of course.
Congratulations to Chevrolet for maintaining the longest continuously used nameplate in the automotive industry and for reaching the 85-year milestone.
2020 Chevrolet Tahoe (left) and Suburban (right) Premier Plus Special Editions