The sixth-generation Chevrolet Suburban, which ran from 1967 to 1972, was the first real family SUV. It was based on the beautiful but simple “Action Line” pickup truck. This Suburban’s original ochre-over-white paint job and black interior give it a very retro look, but it also has modern features like a climate control system. Sales of suburbia cars went up during this time, but the 1972 C20 “barn door” truck is still very rare—only 2136 were made. From July 23 to 24, the sale will be over. These days, the 1972 Chevrolet Suburban and C/K pickups’ color schemes look like a bowl of Skittles. Chevy trucks came in a variety of colors that year, including red, orange, yellow, green, gold, and blue. They also came in multitone schemes with white accents. This was the last year before the long-lasting “square body” designs came out from 1973 to 1991. Some colors have aged better than others in today’s muted palettes, and many shades of gray, but the colors and the trucks’ simple beauty give them a vintage look. This ochre-over-white 1972 Suburban C20 looks like it just got off the set of “The Partridge Family,” but there have been a lot of changes made to it. The trailer is for sale on Bring a Trailer, a site owned by Hearst Autos and Invoice Pricing. These changes, along with its big three-door, three-row layout, make it a cool classic that the whole family will enjoy. The people who worked in this Suburban would be very happy because it was made to be better for families than earlier models. The Suburban was first thought of in 1935, and a real automotive Methuselah wasn’t actually made until 1967, and Chevrolet improved it in 1973. When they were first made, trucks had the same basic shape. They all had two doors, seats, and windows, and they were mostly used for work. In the 1960s, the four-door International Harvester Travelall and Jeep Wagoneer were big hits, so General Motors chose to bring back the Suburban and make it bigger. In 1967, Chevrolet said it was going to redesign its light trucks to make them look better and be more comfortable. This would have attracted people who would have bought a car otherwise. The “Action Line” C/K trucks came with extras and looked like cars when they were first released. They also had more features, softer suspensions, and even performance-oriented street truck models. All of these improvements were made to the new Suburban, but it went through even more changes than the trucks. Chevrolet increased the Suburban’s wheelbase from 115 inches to 127 inches so it could compete with the Travelall. The C/K long-bed truck also had the same wheelbase length. Because of this, the inside became a lot bigger. The bigger “Burban” was meant to have four doors, but GM decided against it and only made it with three. Instead, they added a rear passenger door that faces the curb. The Suburban was a niche car that only 12,000 were sold in 1966. It shared some stampings with the C/K Panel Truck, so it’s possible that this was done to save money. It was still very strong, but it had a door that made getting inside easier and more cozy. You could pick between the much less common four-wheel drive K10 and K20 cars and the rear-drive C10 (half-ton) and C20 (three-quarter-ton) types, just like with pickup trucks. The trunk could be reached through two “barn doors” or a single hatch. Over the years, Chevy offered eight different engines, including two inline sixes and V-8s with displacements between 283 and 402 cubic inches. Sales went down in 1967 because the new format wasn’t widely used, but they went back up after that. When the makeover and standard front disc brakes were added in 1971, the stopping power was greatly improved. Chevy sold 27,302 Suburbans in 1972, which was a new record. The three-door generation’s sales went down, so the “Square body” ’73 Chevy added the fourth door that was needed, giving it a strange and interesting look from the past. Late Action Line pickups and Suburbans have long been sought after by collectors. They have a retro look with a surprisingly modern feel and rock-solid mechanics. This truck shows that a big industry has grown up around them. It has mostly stayed the same, but it does have some great features, like an aftermarket climate control system and modern digital music. A 350-cubic-inch small-block V-8 engine that was fixed up in the early 1990s is under the hood. It also comes with a special dual exhaust system that sounds mean, a bigger radiator with electric fans, and a HEI distributor to replace the points. Some of the original features are also very rare, like the barn doors (which are more common than rear versions) and cruise control (which was added as a dealer option in 1972). Power steering is also included, which makes driving this big bruiser a lot more fun at low speeds. If you don’t pay close attention, you may miss these helpful changes. The aftermarket 15-inch wheels shouldn’t be a deal-breaker either. This truck’s retro look is fun, but it is easier to drive and maintain than a fully original one. Since you don’t know the real miles, it won’t lose value if you use it for trips, beach runs, or just driving around and drinking coffee. It will make people notice you everywhere you go. The sale will end on July 23.
