Chevrolet is asking Texans to make its Chevy Suburban the National Vehicle of Texas. On Nov. 8, the company launched a Change.org petition, complete with a Texas-fied rendition of the Suburban, in honor of the vehicle's 85th anniversary.
"From camping trips to Big Bend, high school football games in Odessa, college-football tailgates in Austin to the ranches, farms and oil fields in between, no one has shown more love to the Suburban than the great state of Texas," the company writes on the petition. "We are truly honored and humbled by how Texans have embraced the Suburban and allowed it to play a part in their lives."
When Texans drive to the Houston Rodeo or to San Antonio for a stroll on the River Walk, they're more likely to cruise there in a Chevy Suburban, Chevy says. According to a press release, a Suburban is sold in Texas every 90 minutes and Chevy sells more suburbans in Texas than in any other state. The Chevy Suburban is also the most-driven vehicle in Dallas. Additionally, Suburbans are built exclusively at the Arlington Assembly Plant in Arlington, Texas.
A 1986 article in Texas Monthly called the Suburban "the most Texan vehicle there is...It's big, it's strong, it's fun, it doesn't put on airs, but it doesn't keep you from putting on a few."
Now, Chevy is asking the Lone Star State to make its relationship with the motor vehicle official with their petition.
The first Chevy Suburban was made in 1935, making it the industry's longest-running nameplate.
"While the world has changed significantly, the Suburban is just as relevant today as it was in 1935. Suburban created the sport utility vehicle - offering unprecedented combination of passenger comfort and cargo capacity," Paul Edwards, Chevrolet marketing vice president, said in a statement. "That has earned Suburban the trust of a wide range of people - from families to law enforcement, and even a starring-role in pop culture."
Leslie Kendall, curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum, noted the Suburban's prevalence in United States culture.
"The name Suburban is so widely recognized that at various times over history it was used by a few vehicle manufacturers," Kendall said in a statement. "But the Chevrolet Suburban - the forerunner of the modern SUV - has stood the test of time. From family road-trips to dignitary protection, to TV and film and everywhere in-between, over the last 85 years the Suburban has become a fixture of Americana."
Proud Chevy Suburban owners who consider their ride as Texan as bluebonnets and longhorns can sign Chevy's petition here.
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