Vintage SUV? 1966 Chevrolet Suburban

William S. Knudsen was president of the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1924 to 1937. Under his leadership, engineers developed the Chevrolet Suburban Carryall. Strangely enough, Chevrolet didn’t trademark the name right away in 1935, when it started producing them, allowing other brands to use the name Suburban. GM didn’t acquire the name until 10 years after Plymouth stopped producing its Suburban station wagon. The Chevrolet Suburban became the longest-running vehicle model in automotive history. This final-year, fifth-generation Suburban is available here on craigslist for $19,500. It is in Conroe, Texas, just north of Houston. Thanks to Jack M for another old Bowtie tip!

Originally in ’66, a Suburban would have come with a 250 cubic-inch L6 six-cylinder or a 283- or 327-cubic-inch V8. The transmission would have been a 3- or 4-speed manual or the always-reliable 2-speed Powerglide. This Suburban does have a small-block Chevy V8 engine, but unfortunately, the seller provides no information. The block is blue, not the venerable Chevy orange, but it is a GM engine. There are power brakes and power steering, and what looks like a newer aluminum radiator. I never understand why a seller does not provide more information about the vehicle’s mechanical aspects, but a prospective buyer would have to do their due diligence if they are interested.

The two-tone Avocado Green and Dark Green paint job reminds me of my parents’ kitchen appliances from the 70s. The body looks solid, and even the pics of the inner metal door skins show no signs of rust. There may be some around the door jambs, but I would be more interested in what lurks below the plywood flooring in the cargo area. It could be okay, but I would check just to be sure. The American Torque Thrust wheels give it an interesting look, but the rear bumper doesn’t seem to be sitting at the right angle. The front split bench seat looks like it may need recovering, and the billet steering wheel seems out of place. The radio is missing, and as you can see, there are aftermarket gauges to compensate for the idiot lights for the ammeter and oil pressure.

Two-door Suburbans are not rare, but they do stand out from the 4-door variety. This one only seems to be a 3-seater, but I am sure you could add another row or two if you wanted to haul your friends to the show. Or leave it as is and use it to bring your surfboards to the beach. I may hear some disagreement in the comments, but I am going to say that this truck is between #3 and #4 condition. It does not appear to meet #2 excellent condition. A #3 condition 2-door C10 Suburban with a V8 is going for a high of $24,200 and a low of $16,033, and that is an uptick of 3.2% over the last 3 years. I think the asking price of $19,500 is pretty much in the middle. If you are looking for a mid-sixties large SUV that doesn’t look like all the other ones in the parking lot, this may be for you!