| -

DETROIT — Chevrolet officials boasted this week that the Suburban is their first vehicle to reach 75 years of production.

To commemorate what they believe to be the industry's longest-running model, brand executives plan to launch a special 2010 75th Anniversary Diamond Edition model of the Chevrolet Suburban.

Back in 1935 when General Motor started rolling out this vehicle, the automaker noted the U.S. population was a little more than 127 million. The company also said a first-class stamp cost three cents, Technicolor was introduced to motion pictures and the Detroit Tigers defeated the Chicago Cubs in a tough World Series.

"Times have changed, but the Suburban remains a fixture in the industry for private and professional customers who need truck-like towing capability with maximum passenger and cargo space," explained Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager.

"The Suburban's core capabilities and dependability have remained constant for more than seven decades, and generations of people know that a Suburban will haul people and their gear," Campbell added.

Chevrolet mentioned the original Suburban could seat eight while easily removable seats provided a large, 75-inch-long by 77-inch-high cargo area.

The 2010 Suburban can seat up to nine but can offer up to 137.4 cubic feet of cargo space when the second-row seats are folded and third-row seats are removed.

GM recalled the idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon.

Through the early 1930s, OEM officials indicated 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. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

The company also remembered bodywork for these early vehicles often consisted of wood sides and canvas tops. While they were versatile, GM believed their car-based chassis and damage-prone bodies were compromises.

Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was launched in 1935.

The automaker said the base price of the original, eight-passenger Suburban was about $675, or the equivalent of about $10,900 in 2010 dollars.

Company executive chimed in that "the 1935 model didn't come with frontal and side air bags, OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, anti-lock brakes and stability control, a six-speed automatic transmission or remote keyless entry."

They added, "In fact, a radio, heater, clock and even a rear bumper were extra-cost options. It might well have been called a sport utilitarian vehicle."

After the Suburban's introduction, GM indicated car-based commercial vehicles, including sedan deliveries, remained in production. However, the company determined the heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers.

"In the post-World War II years, its popularity with private customers who appreciated its uncompromising capabilities increased steadily," Chevrolet officials stated.

GM thinks the Chevrolet Suburban hit the mainstream in the early 1990s with the overall popularity of sport-utility vehicles.

"While many customers were new to the Suburban then, it had garnered a legion of longtime owners who had purchased multiple examples over the years — using them to haul Little League teams and their equipment, tow a horse trailer or seat a work crew on the way to a job site," brand officials concluded.