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History of the Sport Utility Vehicle
by Jim Walczak
From the invention of the
combustion engine and Henry Ford's assembly line for the Model T to the
high-tech versions of today's Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV’s), the evolution of transportation has been
remarkable.
America has long had a love
affair with its automobiles; SUV owners aren't any different when it comes to
their passion.
Whether it's the
full-size Ford Excursion or the Suzuki Samurai, the
owners of these vehicles make as much a fashion statement as they do a choice
in transportation.
And, as in clothing fashion,
everything old becomes new again.
So, as the new model year
approaches, maybe it's time for us to see just where SUV’s have come from so
that we'll have some idea as to where exactly it is we may be going.
Is it a fad gone mad as one
author suggests?
The Early Days
Many believe that the birth of
the SUV began as the "depot hack."
The depot hack was a vehicle
that transported people (similar to today's taxi/hack) and luggage from the train
stations (depots).
They were widely known as
carryalls or suburbans.
Depot hacks were also believed
to be responsible for the evolution of the modern station wagon and the
longest-running SUV model, the Suburban.
Another notable
"father" to the SUV is the Jeep Wagon.
While the Wagoneer was
introduced as a model in 1963, it was the late 1940s that brought us Willy's Jeep Wagon.
In fact, an advertisement for
Willy's Wagon once called it a "utility vehicle" for the family.
Suburban, the Beginning of an Era
There were many makes and
models that used the term "suburban."
In fact, both
"carryall" and "suburban" began being applied to automotive
models in the early 1920's.
The early SUV was meant to be
practical and a means to carry all, whether it be people or cargo.
Throughout the 20’s, 30’s, and
40’s, there were numerous automotive brands using these two words for model
names.
But, it was Chevy's Suburban that carried the name into
the 21st century.
Rock and Roll Wagons
The 50’s brought a change to
the suburbans and carryalls.
Many models went to a car
frame instead of the truck frames of their earlier predecessors.
Dodge listed various
wood-bodied station wagons as "Suburban" or "Suburban Carryall,"
and "Woody Wagons" was the cool thing to have even for the California
surfers.
How else would you carry the
surfboards and enough gear for the weekend on the beach?
Big engines and high
performance were everywhere and the vehicles had plenty of room for the baby
boomers to haul their large cargo of kids.
Disco "dis" Way, Wagons
"datta" Way
The 70’s brought us disco,
inflation, emissions control, high gas prices and the death of big engines and
high performance.
The small fuel-efficient
Japanese cars and our nation's emissions policies added up to the next
evolutionary step for the carryall.
It came in like a 70’s leisure
suit; you know the one, the Chrysler mini-van. It was fuel efficient,
front-wheel drive and could carry a small family of big hair and bad 70'ish
style clothes.
But the mini-van saved
Chrysler and helped the SUV begin its comeback to prominence.
Ronald Reagan's 80's brought
us better fuel prices, lower interest rates and the need to feel sexier.
Who wants to drive a mini-van
that tells everyone we couldn't get the sports car because all of the kids and
kids seats wouldn't fit in the latest model?
With an SUV we could be the
sporty, explorer, outdoor enthusiast…
"Looking for adventure with whatever comes
my way, born to be wild" -- Steppenwolf.
The 80’s and 90’s brought back
the truck frame to the SUV.
Ford still has engines that
need at least both hands and all fingers to count your cylinders (the 10
cylinder Excursion).
They're affectionately called
land barges. Some seem larger than small school buses; they're capable of
carrying a soccer team on a single trip!
But the government is getting
involved and calling SUV's dangerous. The anti-SUV crowd can't be ignored
either.
Many claim that the SUV's are
dangerous for other drivers who own smaller vehicles and that the SUV's consume
too much fuel making them environmentally unfriendly.
Ford actually has tried to
make its SUV's play nice with other vehicles.
For example, the 2000
Excursion comes equipped with a solid-steel bar (called the Blocker Beam)
attached to the front of its lower frame. The device is designed to keep cars
from sliding under the Excursion during a collision.
Everything Old Is New Again
It works in fashion. Why not
automobiles?
As fuel prices begin to rise
again and the continued pressure from governmental agencies about SUV safety
take their toll, could we be seeing the beginning of the next evolution of
the SUV?
There is more than one
manufacturer that has put their version of the SUV on a car chassis. Could this
be the return of the station wagon? Only time will tell.
Jim
Walczak
Publisher
and writer of Jeep Guide website
Member
of BlueRibbon Coalition
Experience
Jim
Walczak is a former writer for ThoughtCo and contributed work for over seven
years. He has been a Jeep and off-roading enthusiast for over 15 years.
His current pride and joy is his '04 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited TJ. Jim
is a member of the BlueRibbon Coalition, an advocacy group that promotes
motorized access to public lands and waterways. In his free time, Jim can
often be found venturing off-road along the backcountry roads of Tennessee,
always choosing to follow the route less taken.
Jim is
the owner of Squeaky Wheel Marketing, where he does marketing and public
relations and is responsible for new sponsor development for Hoosier Thunder
Motorsports, a multi-car drag racing team on the NHRA and IHRA racing
circuit.
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